Under the Cherry Blossoms
by nikoxnii
Summary: Japan has established the perfect marriage system in order to pair up couples with their perfect life partners. Nishikino Maki didn't understand why finding your perfect match was such a big deal, that is, until she met hers. AU
1. Prologue

**My first fanfic, so don't be too harsh, but hope you guys enjoy. Please let me know what I should work on for the future!  
**

 **I do not own Love Live.**

* * *

In the near future, Japan has established the perfect marriage system in order to ensure the happiness of their people, enabling citizens to work efficiently and productively.

This system is run by the Department of Marriage; ironically, their acronym comes out to be DOM, bringing the joke that marriage is the end of it all. However, they promote just the opposite: to perfectly match people together, guaranteeing complete happiness and a long, loving marriage.

The department takes in account information from your birth, background, and from multiple tests that everyone takes through the years; usually these tests dealt with figuring out personalities and future goals. Combining all this information, they pair you up with "your other half."

Starting at the age of 15, one receives a letter if their match has been found. The department implemented this rule in order for the couple to get to know each other for at least a year before coming of age to marry. Although, that didn't matter much anymore since everyone usually waited unlike when the system was first established. Everyone was too excited to have been paired with their "perfect match" that they couldn't wait any longer, resulting in multiple cases of unhappiness in the marriage, putting DOM under fire.

Teenagers treated their 15th birthday with special treatment at the thought of meeting their future marriage partner. Well, most teenagers did anyway.

Nishikino Maki didn't understand why everyone would get so excited over such a simple letter and why everyone wanted to find their life partner as soon as possible. Maki would rather avoid the whole thing, but just like everyone else, she'd eventually receive a letter and she'd have to meet her future spouse.

Maki sighed at the thought of how much of a hassle it would probably all be when the time came.

She had just started school at Otonokizaka High as a first year and high school was supposed to be the best years of your youth, but nothing was interesting enough for Maki. Not like she was trying her hardest anyway.

Her classmates all seemed nice, but annoying at the same time. She had a tough time enjoying their presence long enough to have a normal conversation when each conversation always took a turn into the topic of upcoming letters, forcing Maki to make up an excuse to leave, finding the subject to be a waste of breath.

 _What's so great about finding your perfect match?_ Maki thought every single time. _I really don't understand them._

Maki knew it was inevitable that she would also get a letter, but she never felt a single bit of excitement about it. She just hoped her future partner wouldn't be too talkative and annoying because only God knows how much Maki will be able to tolerate someone with a big mouth. She put her faith in the department that they'll match her with someone that she'll be fine spending the rest of her life with.

So far, the Department of Marriage has never been wrong. Maki prayed she wouldn't be the first.


	2. Chapter 1: Congratulations

Maki sat at her desk with her chin cupped in her hand, staring out the window and listening to music on her phone. She was the only one in the classroom since she had come early to enjoy some quiet to herself just like she did every day before. Maki savored any time she could get to be by herself without having to worry if someone was trying to talk to her. But today, that didn't last very long.

Someone had ripped the earphones right out of Maki's ears, causing Maki to jolt straight up in her seat, dropping her phone in the process. She quickly bent down to retrieve it off the ground.

"Maki-chan!" the person had shouted at the top of their lungs.

Before Maki could get a good look to see who it was who so rudely disturbed her peace, she found herself wrapped in their arms, her face pressed against their stomach.

"R-rin-chan…" said another voice.

 _I should've known._

"Maki-chan, guess what day it is!" Rin exclaimed, squeezing the redhead even tighter, making it harder for Maki to breath.

Maki muffled as much words as she could get out against Rin's abdomen as Rin held her in what looked like a friendly hug, but felt like a death headlock.

"Rin-chan, please let go of Maki-chan," Hanayo told her childhood friend, looking a bit worried at the sight of Maki's flailing.

"Aw, but Kayo-chin, today's special," Rin whined, loosening her hold on Maki's head. Finding the opportunity, Maki pushed her way out of Rin's grip and took deep breaths to regulate her beating heart.

"I think that's even more of a reason not to kill me," Maki replied sternly, sitting back on her chair and crossing her legs as she looked at both of her friends. They both had a huge smile on their face as they stared at her. "Why are you both smiling so much?"

The two girls glanced at her each before taking a step toward the curious redhead. The sudden synchronization made Maki uncomfortable; she knew they've been friends since they were children, but it's not like they were exactly on the same pace; Rin being too energetic and Hanayo being too stiff – complete opposites.

Rin and Hanayo now stood right in front of Maki, still wearing the same smile. Maki looked from one to the other and back again, trying to figure out when the best time to run is.

But before she could make a decision, Rin and Hanayo had pulled out party horns and blew it right at Maki's face.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAKI-CHAN!" Hanayo presented Maki with a neatly wrapped gift while Rin held out a small cake that had the words "Maki-chan, nya" and a smiley face written on it with red frosting. "Surprise!"

Maki, not being one to express her feelings, stared in utter disbelief. She didn't know what to say, but the silence was enough for her two companions.

"She's smiling, Kayo-chin; take a picture," Rin whispered, not wanting Maki to hear her.

At the sound of a click, Maki looked up to look at her two friends. She stared at Hanayo in confusion as she had her phone held up.

"Did you just…" Maki trailed.

"Sorry, Maki-chan," Hanayo smiled, "you just looked so cute."

Maki's face quickly reddened at the compliment. She turned her head to face the other direction, arms crossed over her chest, trying to hide how flustered she actually was. "I-is that so?"

Rin and Hanayo laughed at their friend's embarrassed state until Maki couldn't help but giggle along with them.

 _Just maybe,_ Maki thought, _this year won't be so bad._

* * *

The last bell had rung to signal that classes have ended for the day. Maki quickly got up from her seat and was heading straight for the exit until Rin had stepped in front of her.

"Where do you think you're going, nya?" she asked in a serious manner, hands stretched out to shield the exit as if that was going to stop Maki.

"I have practice," Maki simply replied, looking her friend in the eye to try and intimidate her, but this time, Rin was determined to keep Maki from leaving.

"But it's your birthday, Maki-chan," Rin said in a more gentler tone. "Can't you cancel for today at least?"

Maki sighed before saying, "Rin, you know how hard I've been working, right?" Rin nodded, arms still stretched out that Maki mentally applauded her for keeping them up for so long. "And you know why I'm practicing so much, right?" Rin nodded again, arms lowering to her sides. "Then let me go."

Rin moved aside in defeat to let Maki go, but before Maki stepped out the doorway, she glanced at her unhappy friend over her shoulder and muttered, "…thank you." Maki quickly walked out, not taking a second look at Rin but she swore she heard the girl laugh.

Maki strode down the halls, checking her watch every now and then to make sure she wouldn't be running late. Mori-sensei would understand even if she was, but Maki didn't want to waste any time running around. She had to get to the practice studio as soon as she could.

Maki looked down to check her watch again, but she immediately regretted it when she smacked head first into someone else coming down the stairs. Maki caught herself before she felt the ground, softening her landing, but her head-butting victim didn't seem to have the same fate as Maki heard a loud thud and a groan following.

"Watch where you're walking!"

Maki looked up to see a girl with jet-black hair tied up into twin pigtails, her eyes as crimson as Maki's hair, and a face a bit child-looking that anyone could've mistaken her for a middle school student if it wasn't for the uniform.

"I'm sorry, I'm in a bit of a hurry," Maki informed the girl, getting up off the ground and dusting herself off. "I didn't see you coming down."

The girl clicked her tongue in disbelief, making Maki twitch a little in annoyance. "Well, you're not the only one in a hurry." The girl picked herself up and quickly fixed her clothes. Maki realized how short she was, questioning if this girl really was a middle school kid who had snuck into the school before settling on the idea that she was probably a first-year as well.

The girl placed her hands on her hips and looked Maki from head to toe with judging eyes. "May I help you?" Maki asked, realizing the girl was scanning her.

"You're a first year?" she asked, stopping her gaze at the blue ribbon tied to Maki's collar.

"Yeah, I just started school here," Maki replied, a little confused. "Aren't you…a first-year?"

The girl's face looked stunned from the question then quickly turned into one of anger. "What makes you think I'm a first-year? Is it because of my height?" the girl retorted, looking at Maki with what Maki thought was one of two spine-chilling stares she's ever seen – the other being from her mom when Maki didn't do what she was supposed to.

"N-no, that's not – " Maki couldn't find the right words as the girl kept her eyes locked on to Maki's; it was hard not to look away from such an intense stare.

The raven-haired girl sighed as Maki stood erect in her place. "First-years these days…they just don't know their place." The girl picked up her stuff and looked at Maki before asking in a softer tone, "So, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Maki unfroze from fear at the sound of the girl's less agitated voice. She didn't know what it was, but it had a pretty sound to it.

"I'm heading to Akiba," Maki replied. Realizing the reason she was in a hurry in the first place, Maki started running towards the exit of the school without another word. She had wasted too much time talking to the middle school-looking girl and she was going to be late if she didn't start heading to the studio now.

"H-hey! I wasn't done talking to you." The girl followed Maki all the way to the shoe lockers, but Maki had no time to indulge in any more conversations.

"I'm sorry, but I'm done talking to you." The other girl stopped in astonishment at Maki's bluntness. "I have somewhere to go and I'm already running late," Maki clarified, feeling a little guilty as she half jogged out the entrance.

Maki made it out the front gate when the raven-haired girl caught up to her, breathing heavily from the running.

"What are you doing?" Maki asked, looking left and right before crossing the street.

The girl lagged behind, still trying to catch her breath. "You said you're headed to Akiba, right? I'm going there too. We should go together."

"What?" Maki stopped walking to turn to the other girl who wasn't quite ready for the sudden halt in movement, causing her to trip a little.

"I said we should go together," she repeated, regaining her composure and looking at Maki, hands on her hips. "We're heading the same way anyway."

"It's fine, I can walk by myself," Maki replied, a little uncomfortable that someone she didn't know wanted to walk with her. She had a hard time talking to people in her class, what more someone outside of it.

The other girl sighed out of disappointment. "You're denying an invitation from your senpai; that takes guts." Maki flinched a little from the disapproving ton. _Wait, senpai?_

Maki looked down at the girl's green bowtie, eyes widening as she realized the annoying pest wasn't just her upperclassmen she was a third-year. This sudden fact made Maki started to fidget, making the other girl raise an eyebrow as she watched the taller girl move around awkwardly.

The raven-haired started to laugh at the sight before saying, "You're a funny one. You don't have to be so nervous. Lighten up!" She punched Maki playfully on the shoulder in order to relax her junior, but Maki jumped back from the unexpected contact, holding her bag against her chest as if to shield herself from an attacker. "Whoa, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Maki slowly put her bag down, realizing how much of an overreaction she had just made. The tips of her ears started to heat up from the embarrassment and she turned away from her senior to hide her self-consciousness.

"I'm sorry, senpai, but I'm running late already," Maki finally replied after calming herself down. She started to trot away from the other girl, not looking back in order to prove her point and make the third-year understand that she didn't need to follow anymore.

At least, that was the idea.

* * *

Maki's face never changed the whole way to the train station: her eyes glaring at everyone and everything passing by, her lips twitching slightly, and her jaw tightly clenched that her mouth was starting to hurt. This level of annoyance was new to Maki and she didn't like it, yet it came crashing down on her all because of the girl standing next to her.

Maki glanced at the short third-year from the corner of her eye, watching as the raven-haired girl happily hummed a tune. At the sight of how cheerful the other girl was, Maki sighed and relaxed her expression, deciding just to give in and make the most of the situation. After all, the girl did come running after her again and followed her all the way down to the station despite Maki's quick pace – a pace the third-year found hard to keep up with which was evident when she started breathing heavily once they had stopped at the platform. The girl scolded her for making her walk faster than intended to which Maki replied that she didn't ask her to follow her in the first place.

"So, why are you heading to Akiba?" Maki asked, looking straight ahead at the fast moving buildings. The girl stopped humming and turned to look at her, a look of shock on her face. "W-what is it?"

"It's just…" the girl trailed off, leaving Maki to become even more anxious, "…you started the conversation." If Maki could punch this girl, she would. The girl laughed at Maki's expression of irritation. "I live in Akiba."

Maki's face loosened when she realized she was losing to the girl's game. "Oh, is that so? Must be…fun," Maki finally let out, stiffening up a little since she didn't know if that could count as a compliment.

"You don't have to try so hard," the third-year said, laughing at Maki's comment. "It has its ups and downs. Nothing special."

Maki could only guess, but her senior's voice sounded a bit miserable as the last words had slipped out of her mouth. She peeked at the girl again, trying not to make her notice that she was watching her. The shorter girl was humming another tune, a little less happy than the first time, but Maki could see a small smile playing along her face.

 _Maybe I'm overthinking it._

The train started to slowly stop with the speaker repeating the words "Akihabara," signaling Maki and her escort to start heading for the doors. They both had walked out at the same time, hands brushing slightly. Maki jerked her arm away from the other girl, but her companion didn't seem to notice the contact as she was already walking ahead.

Maki followed behind the raven-haired girl without saying a word. Maki blushed a little, touching the spot where her hand had brushed against the other girl's. She looked at the girl's smaller hands that were swinging by her side as she was trying to fight her way out of the growing crowd. Maki wondered what it would be like to hold such small, but delicate looking hands.

 _What am I doing?_ Maki thought, slapping her forehead with the palm of her hand.

"What are you doing?"

Maki stopped right before running straight into the third-year and realized they had already made it out of the station and onto the sidewalk. The other girl was looking at Maki with concern.

"Uh – I was just trying to wake myself up," Maki managed to let out, hoping she would believe it.

"Really? You looked pretty awake to me just a minute ago," she replied, not buying the lame excuse, but let it go as she saw Maki's flustered face. "Well anyway, I'm headed this way." The girl pointed in the opposite direction Maki needed to go.

"Then I guess this is where we part," Maki said, feeling a bit of relief and pointing in the other direction. "I need to go this way."

"Well thanks for walking with me; we should do this again," the girl suggested, smiling at what Maki thought to be out of appreciation.

"Y-yeah, sure, senpai, anytime," Maki replied, mentally slapping herself for practically agreeing to meet with her again.

"Nico."

"What?"

"My name is Yazawa Nico," the girl stated, looking a little annoyed that she had to repeat herself. "You can just call me Nico."

Maki's heart started beating faster at the idea of calling an upperclassman so informally. Nico stared at her, waiting for Maki to reply.

"Then, N-Nico…san," Maki stuttered, holding her breath at the pressure that was just placed on her.

Nico laughed and said, "We'll work on that. Well, I'll see you around then, uh…"

"Nishikino Maki," Maki answered.

"Oh, then see you around, Maki-chan." The girl started off the other way, leaving Maki to stand there dumbfounded. _Chan? What's with that?_

Maki let out a small sigh and watched Nico walk away until she had turned a corner and out of view. Despite the annoyance Maki had felt, she was glad Nico was persistent about walking with her. Maki never really walked home with anyone since she always had practice in Akiba and neither Rin nor Hanayo went that way.

 _Yazawa Nico, huh? How does your other half deal with you?_

* * *

Maki managed to only be fifteen minutes late despite all the distractions – or technically, one huge distraction. She walked into one of the taller buildings in Akiba, made up of glass windows that looked out over the always-bustling streets. She hit the elevator button for the tenth floor and silently waited until the doors opened into a lobby that contained a reception's desk with a huge sign behind it reading **Mori Music Tutorial**.

"Oh, you're here today," the receptionist said as she watched Maki step off the elevator from behind the desk. "I didn't think you were coming when I didn't see you earlier." Her name was Shizuka Aoi, a third-year business major in college, working to help pay for her tuition ever since her father passed away in her final year of high school. Aoi was one of the few people who Maki appreciated to have around, letting her guard down around the older girl because to her, Aoi was like a big sister she never had.

"I had a bit of a run in," Maki replied, resting her head on top of the counter, feeling a little tired now that she made it to her destination. "Is Mori-sensei here?"

The young receptionist typed away at her computer before replying, "Yes, he should be waiting for you in his studio. You can head there now if you want. Or you can go home and enjoy your birthday." Aoi propped her elbows on the counter and rested her hand on her intertwined fingers, smiling at Maki with a look of victory.

"You remembered," Maki replied, smiling back at Aoi.

"Of course I did," Aoi answered, looking a little hurt that Maki accused her of forgetting. "What would that make me if I forgot your birthday?" Maki stared at the girl before Aoi continued, "Why don't you come and celebrate with me after your practice?"

Maki stood up without replying and started to head for the double doors that led into the hallway. She heard Aoi giggle as she watched the retreating younger girl; "I know, you're busy as always. But I hope you know that you can't just ditch your future partner when the time comes."

Maki stopped herself, one foot in the lobby and the other in the hallway. "Well I hope my 'future partner' understands that I have goals."

Aoi sighed at her junior's naivety, but then smiled at her determination, something Aoi hardly ever saw nowadays much less from a first-year in high school. "I hope they do too. Practice hard." Aoi turned back to her computer and Maki watched her for a few seconds until stepping into the hall.

Mori Family Music was a well-known music tutorial school in Akiba where some of the best young musicians went to be tutored by past participants and winners of regional and national competitions. The school was brought up by Mori Kazuo, a known musician in his school days, hence the leading name of the school. Maki had been coming to this school since she was seven, begging her parents to let her be tutored by, as Maki put it back then, "one of the greats."

Every since Maki could remember, music was her escape from the world and it was the one thing she never doubted could bring her joy. She loved playing music, composing it, and listening to it; everything about it brought her a sense of relief and happiness, a kind of happiness that she didn't feel anywhere else.

After walking down the hall for sometime, she finally reached a door with sign on the front that read **Mori Kazuki**. Maki opened the door to the studio; it was spacious and bright as the sun shone through the huge windows that occupied one side of the room. The studio held only a few things: a bookshelf filled with tons of books and notebooks that carried unfinished music scores, speakers hung off the corners of the walls, and a desk holding only a computer stayed in one corner.

And lastly, in the middle of the room sat Maki's favorite thing in the world: a dark brown grand piano, well kept and touched by only a few. Maki admired the instrument as it shined against the rays of the sun. She gently touched the piano, making sure not to leave any smudges behind. She opened the fallboard slowly, exposing the white and black keys as she sat down on the stool to get a better look at them.

"I see you still admire the old thing," said a voice, hard with a little bit of gentleness in it.

Maki turned to find her longtime tutor, Mori-sensei, standing at the doorway of the studio, holding a folder filled with what looked like music sheets. He held a smile across his face, watching his student enjoy herself with just the sight of the instrument she dearly loved.

"I-I was not," Maki muttered, feeling embarrassed that someone had been watching her.

Mori-sensei chuckled as he closed the door behind him. "No need to be embarrassed, Maki-chan." He placed the folder on the desk and pulled the chair to sit in front of the computer.

Mori Kazuki was, Maki guessed, to be around his 70s, but you wouldn't really be able to tell with how energetic he was. His white hair was always neatly kept and his clothes carefully picked by his wife, but his glasses were a little too big resulting in it sitting awkwardly on his nose.

Kazuki was the son of Mori Kazuo and just like his father; he was well known as a prodigy of the piano, winning tons of competitions since he was in grade school. After ten years of playing professionally around Japan, Kazuki had retired from the stage to be a tutor for young musicians, feeling he needed to share his talent to the next generation. He then took over the music school after his father's death and has been happily enjoying the presence of his students, Maki being one of his oldest.

"I'm a little surprised you came," he said, his face too close to the computer screen due to his waning eyesight. Maki couldn't help but inwardly laugh a little at her tutor's hunched posture.

"I need to practice," Maki simply replied. "The piano competition is already next month and I can't afford to be wasting time."

Mori-sensei leaned back into the chair and looked at his student with eyes that slightly disapproved of Maki's stubborn way of focusing too much on music, but he knew how much it meant to her and he admired how hard she's been working.

"As much as I love seeing my students spend their time practicing with all their heart," Mori-sensei started, "you're still young, Maki-chan. You should go enjoy some time with friends once in a while. You'll be meeting your life partner soon, so you should learn to go out instead of locking yourself up in the studio."

Maki turned to her teacher, a bit annoyed since he was the second person to mention meeting her "perfect match." As if that mattered to Maki right now, she had more important things to think about and for her, playing music was one of them. Whoever her partner ends up being would need to see that and if they didn't, then she didn't understand how they would get matched up in the first place.

"Playing music means more to me than meeting my partner right now," Maki snapped back, her fingers lightly brushing over the keyboard. "It's not like I received a letter yet anyway and it's not guaranteed when it will come. I don't need to worry about that at this moment."

The tutor sighed, but grinned at Maki's strong-will. "Well since you came all this way, might as well put you to work." He opened the folder he had been holding and handed a few scores that were new to Maki. "Practice these and don't complain later."

* * *

Maki had come home to a lit house; an unusual sight since her parents usually came home when Maki was already asleep and left before she even woke up. Maki stepped inside the mansion and took her shoes off before saying, "I'm home," wondering if anyone would actually respond.

"Ah, Maki, welcome home." Her mom popped her head out of the living room door to greet her now 15-year old daughter. "How was school?"

 _I haven't heard that question asked in years._

"It was the same," Maki casually replied, walking passed her mom without a glance. Her mom followed right behind and quietly hummed to herself, making Maki a little suspicious. It was already suspicious enough that she was home so early; even if it was for her birthday, her parents never really celebrated until they had some free time, which was always _weeks_ after her birthday.

"How was practice?" her mom asked, trying to make conversation.

It wasn't that Maki didn't like talking to her parents because she did wish that they would spend more time with her, but today just wasn't the right day. After having her ear talked off by a certain third-year and her wrist arching from the constant piano playing, she wasn't in the mood to be having a cheery mother asking her questions.

"It was okay," Maki told her mom, sitting down on one of the dining chairs and placing her school bag on the table. "Just trying to get ready for the upcoming competition."

"Maki," her mom said in such a serious tone that it made Maki jump.

"Yes, Mama?" Maki answered, looking up at the older woman, a little nervous for the next words that may come out of her mouth.

"I wanted to wait until your father came home," her mom started, "but I'm sure you wouldn't want to wait that long."

Maki raised an eyebrow in confusion, waiting for her mom to continue on with her explanation. "Wait for what?"

Maki's mom let out a deep breath as if to calm herself before she could reply. She smiled at her daughter, who was still looking at her strangely, and said with excitement in her voice, "As we all know, you turned 15 today…"

 _And you still haven't said happy birthday._

"…and we all know what happens when someone turns 15…"

 _Who doesn't know?_

"…and I'm so glad I'm able to be here with you for this moment…"

 _Where is this going?_

"…and that I'm the one presenting this to you."

 _Wait…please don't tell me_.

"Today, I received some mail…"

 _Please, just be about anything else._

"…and a very important letter."

 _What letter? Not my letter. What is this woman saying?_

Maki's mother pulled out a crisp white envelope that she had been holding behind her back, and presented it to the stunned Maki who was still trying to process what was happening. On the front of the envelope, in gold lettering and written in perfect cursive handwriting, the name "Nishikino Maki" shined. And on the bottom left corner, in black, was the official stamp of the Department of Marriage.

"Congratulations, sweetie! They found your perfect match!"

 _Well, damn it._


	3. Chapter 2: Happiness?

**Thank you for all the early support! I wasn't expecting so much, but now I'm motivated to keep this story going.**

 **So here's chapter 2!**

 **I do not own Love Live.**

* * *

It's been three days since she received her letter and Maki still didn't feel one bit of joy in that fact. She had read the letter over and over again, becoming more agitated every time the word "significant other" or "perfect match" was written. Maki didn't understand why people got so excited over these things; she just felt upset every time she thought about it.

Maki looked up at the early morning sky, clear and blue. Nobody else was around as she had been walking to school early enough to be by herself. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment.

 _What if we don't get along? What if they bother me when I'm trying to practice? What if they want to go out all the time? Ugh! THIS IS TOO MUCH!_

"Maki-chan, are you okay, nya?"

Maki squealed at the unexpected voice beside her. She turned to find Rin and Hanayo standing there, looking at her with great concern.

"I-it's nothing," Maki informed them, shaking her head as if her previous thoughts would fall right out of her ears.

"Are you sure, Maki-chan?" Hanayo asked, looking at her classmate with worried eyes. "You looked like there was something bothering you."

"Yeah, nya," Rin contributed. "You were doing this." Rin placed both of her hands on her head, leaning her head back until it was directly facing the sky, and then screamed loudly as if in frustration. Maki stared wide-eyed at the sight with her face slowly turning to a deep red.

 _Did I really do all that?_

"It's still early in the morning!" someone shouted out from their window, not far from where the three first-years stood. "Damn high schoolers and their youth!"

"R-Rin-chan," Hanayo said nervously, "I don't think you needed to do all that."

"I just thought it was too dramatic to explain through words, nya," Rin explained, chuckling at herself for re-performing Maki's unusual action.

Maki stared at the ground, her face feeling too hot for her liking; she didn't know if it was from the frustration or from the embarrassment. Rin and Hanayo watched her as she took a few deep breaths before looking up at them.

"There's nothing to worry about," Maki tried to assure them, wearing her usual emotionless expression. "Let's get going before we're late."

"But, Maki-chan, we still have – " Hanayo had stopped her best friend from continuing as they watched Maki walk ahead of them. Hanayo knew if Maki didn't want to say what she was thinking, then it'd be best not to force it out of her. Rin and Hanayo followed the redhead, not saying another word.

Maki didn't know if she should tell her two friends and she felt a little guilty when she pictured their worried faces. But it's not like telling them would fix anything and it would just build her irritation all over again. She quietly sighed and closed her eyes, wanting for this to be a dream. _Why did this have to happen now?_

"Maki-chan!" Hanayo called out in panic.

But it was too late; Maki had run straight into someone who had popped out of the corner. Maki caught her footing, stopping herself from falling, but her chin, having collided into the other person, was now slightly red and throbbing in pain.

"I-I'm sorry," the girl stuttered, getting up of the ground. "I didn't see you there." Maki noticed she was wearing their school uniform, but instead of the blue bowtie, she was wearing a red one. Without any hesitation, the girl bowed.

Maki was taken aback by the unusual action; not that she wasn't used to people bowing since she had maids at her house who bowed to her, but having someone who wore the same uniform was just uncalled for, especially when that girl is your upperclassmen.

"Please stand up," Maki exclaimed uncomfortably, twirling her hair in her fingers.

"Oh," the girl stood back up, her face a little red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

Maki sighed. "You don't have to apologize so much either."

"I'm – " the blue-haired stopped herself once she realized Maki was glaring at her. "Right…sor – I mean…forget it."

"A-are you okay, senpai?" Hanayo asked once she and Rin caught up to them.

The girl stood erect in surprise by the appearance of two more people. "I – yeah, I'm okay." She started fidgeting as the three first-years watched her curiously.

"What's wrong, nya?" Rin asked, looking a little concerned for the helpless second-year.

"Ah, n-nothing," she replied, shaking her hands in front of her in exaggeration. "I'm just in a bit of a hurry. Please excuse me." The girl slung her bag over her shoulder and started half jogging her way down the street, the first-years watching her out of concern for her mental state. She tripped on her feet but caught herself quickly to prevent any falling then started walking even faster out of sight. Maki thought she seemed too timid for an upperclassman – a totally opposite of the other one she met not too long ago.

"Is she going to be okay?" Hanayo asked, still staring at the slowly disappearing figure of the blue-haired girl.

"She'll be fine, she's heading towards the school anyway," Maki calmly replied as the girl turned a corner.

In the wrong direction.

Maki pinched the bridge of her nose. _Why do I keep bumping into the weird ones?_

"Hey, Maki-chan," Rin called, breaking Maki's thoughts. "What's that, nya?" Rin was pointing to something that laid beside Maki's feet. Looking down, Maki realized it was a letter, neatly opened and kept clean compared to Maki's ripped open one that laid in a mess on the top of her desk.

"It's a letter," Hanayo said as her and Rin took their places beside Maki to inspect the object with her. "Do you think its senpai's?"

"Wow, senpai got her letter, nya," stated Rin with a look of excitement. "She's lucky to be meeting her perfect match soon. She'll be so happy."

Maki's breathing hitched at Rin's comment, but she didn't want to arouse any suspicion from the childhood friends. Trying to keep an apathetic face on, Maki flipped the letter over, revealing the same gold lettering and cursive handwriting in the middle, the name shining as the sunlight reflected off of it.

 _Sonoda Umi._

* * *

Nico had made it to school, five minutes before the warning bell. She had a bad start to the morning when she had woken up later than usual, resulting in her dressing without thinking and untidily tying her hair in her usual pigtails. Then to add to it, her three younger siblings were uncontrollable, not a single one listening to her as they cried and screamed and fought with each other. Even the oldest out of the three, Cocoro, was being unreasonable by stealing her younger brother's toys. Then to top it off, on her way to school, she realized she had forgotten her homework that laid on the dinner table; she cursed herself a million times on her way back for not putting it in her bag the night before.

Nico forcefully slid the classroom door open, scaring her classmates at the loud crash it made. They stared at her and Nico thought she probably looked like a huge mess. She was breathing heavily, her pigtails slightly undone, and her uniform in disarray.

"Ah, Nicocchi, I knew you were going to be late," a purple-haired girl stated, picking up a card from her deck and showing it to Nico with a smirk on her face.

Nico grumbled under her breath and walked towards her seat in the back right next to her childhood friend. "Nozomi, I don't have the energy for your games."

Nozomi pouted. "Aw, but Nicocchi, I was just trying to cheer up your little, grumpy face." She stood over Nico, pinching her cheek with a smile as if she was enjoying Nico's pain while Nico kept trying to remove Nozomi's hand with little success.

 _Where's Eli when you need her?_

"Nozomi…" a scent of vanilla filled the air as the two friends turned to find Eli standing there, one hand on her hip and the other pinching her forehead in disapproval. She sighed before continuing, "What did I say about hurting Nico?"

"To not do it around you?" the girl replied with an innocent smile playing on her face. Nico muttered something that neither of the two girls heard. "Sorry, Nicocchi, did you say something?"

Without answering, Nico tried to bite Nozomi's fingers, but the other girl was too fast, letting go of Nico's now red cheek and laughing at her failed attempt. "Now, now, Nicocchi, save that for your partner."

"Oh, is that the kind of thing you do with Eli?" Nico asked, smirking at her comeback.

"Maybe," Nozomi replied with a wink.

"N-Nozomi!" Eli objected, her face turning slightly red. Nozomi giggled at her flustered partner while Nico gagged in disgust.

"Everyone, take your seats," the instructor announced, coming into the room and making her way to the front of the class. Nozomi sneakily kissed Eli on the cheek as the blonde haired girl passed her in order to get to her seat. Eli reacted with disapproval and shock while Nozomi just smiled at her reaction.

Nico watched this interaction and she's been watching this kind of interaction since they were first-years. Nozomi was Nico's childhood friend until she moved away in their elementary days, coming back years later for the both of them to end up at the same high school. Nozomi had gotten her letter that same year and had met her partner, Ayase Eli: the tall, beautiful, and smart half-Russian. Nico thought they were the ideal life partners; it made her a bit jealous to see how close they were and how well they fit together. Nozomi always said that once it was Nico's turn, it'd be the same for her, but Nico didn't feel it'd be as perfect as the couple she's been observing for almost two years now.

Nico's thoughts were disrupted when she felt a piece of paper hit her hand. She looked at it in confusion and then turned to Nozomi, who was staring straight ahead. Quietly, she unfolded the piece of paper, opening it to a sentence written in Nozomi's handwriting: ' _What's with the depressed aura?'_

Nico wrote back: ' _It's nothing to worry about.'_ She waited for the teacher to turn her back on them to toss the paper at her seatmate.

Nozomi quickly threw it back. ' _Don't lie to me, Nicocchi.'_

' _I'm not lying to you.'_ Nico handed it over.

' _Why can't you just tell me?'_ Nozomi wrote, a little sloppily this time, probably out of irritation.

Nico sighed. ' _Because there's nothing to tell._ '

' _I know, would a kiss from Nozomi make it all better? ;)_ '

"Like hell it would!" Nico shouted, slamming her hand on her desk and abruptly standing up from her seat, facing Nozomi with vexation while the purple-haired girl made no reaction.

"Yazawa-san!" the instructor scolded. "You'll be on cleaning duty for the rest of the week for your disruption. No excuses."

Nico's eyes grew wide as she realized she had just made a fool of herself. "Y-yes, ma'am. I'm sorry, it won't happen again." She bowed quickly and sat back down. Nozomi chuckled under her breath and Nico glared at her until she couldn't take the other girl's stupid grin.

Nico looked out the window and let out a deep sigh, not even listening to what the teacher was saying anymore. She wondered what it felt like to be happy like Nozomi and Eli seemed to be; not that she didn't enjoy her life now because she had the best mother and siblings around and her friends were her friends, but she wanted the kind of happiness that you didn't have to force yourself to feel because it would just naturally happen.

Another piece of paper had made its way onto Nico's desk and she grumbled a little before opening it up. Inside was one of Nozomi's tarot cards and a message: ' _Whatever it is, you'll find it soon. So don't be so down; it makes me sad just looking at you.'_

Nico smiled a little at the last words Nozomi had written before taking a look at the tarot card Nozomi had tossed to her. Her heart clenched; she felt the side of her pocket to make sure that what she had grabbed this morning was still there. Nico didn't really understand what any of the cards meant like Nozomi did, but this one was pretty self-explanatory.

The Lovers.

* * *

 _'Don't forget to go the Department to schedule your meeting, sweetie.'_

Maki's pressed her teeth tightly together as she read the 25th text message from her mother that day. Ever since she had received her letter, her parents have been reminding her almost every hour to go to DOM. Maki wanted to wait it out a little longer, but the nonstop calls and texts from her parents were beyond exhausting that Maki would rather meet her partner as soon as possible if that meant her mom and dad would stop bothering her. It was already bad enough that Maki got in trouble when her phone rang in class because she was not expecting anyone to call.

 _My parents finally talk to me, but only because of a_ stupid _letter._

Maki got up from her seat when the speaker announced that the next stop would be Marunouchi. Walking out of the station, she noticed how different the business district was from Akihabara: all the mature-looking adults in business suits, the tall buildings that held tons of offices – no huge posters of game promotions or popular anime announcements hanging off any of them – and Maki's favorite of all: how quiet it was compared to the loud streets of Akihabara, the only sound coming from the tapping of shoes and the passing of cars.

She liked it, the whole feel of it; the district had a different atmosphere. It almost made Maki forget everything she had been worrying about for the past few days until she remembered why she went to the business district in the first place. Frowning, Maki checked her phone to navigate her way towards the Department of Marriage and started heading in the direction her phone instructed her to go.

When Maki finally reached the Department, she didn't feel angry or frustrated; for the first time since she received her letter, she felt nervous. The building was probably one of the tallest ones in the district, lined with glass windows that were shining off the bright sun. At the entrance of the structure was a sign, painted in black: **Department of Marriage**. Maki took a deep breath before heading towards the big sliding doors only to tense up even more once she had stepped inside. It was scarily white and spacious with the roof so far from the ground that it almost seemed unreal. Maki looked up at the white ceiling, trying to judge how high up it was.

 _Am I in heaven? Wait a minute, what am I doing? Am I getting nervous?_

Maki looked around, trying to figure out where it is she had to go, but all she could see was a bunch of people walking back and forth.

"Do you need any help?" A young woman had approached Maki with a smile on her face. She was wearing a white button-up and a gray business jacket with a skirt to match. Pinned to her right chest was a name-tag that said "Yamato."

"Uh…yes, please," Maki replied, her nervousness building up by just looking at the young woman. "I'm trying to schedule a meeting with my partner."

The woman's face beamed up in surprise. "Oh! You've gotten your letter. Congratulations!" she exclaimed, bowing as she said this. Maki started to mentally tell herself to calm down. Once Yamato had stood back up, she gestured towards the stairs and said, "Please follow me."

Maki reluctantly followed the cheerful woman through the pack of people walking to and fro, up the long staircase, and into a expensive-looking glass elevator. Yamato pressed the number thirty and the doors closed slowly, leaving it to just be the two of them. Maki looked out the window and watched as they went higher up the building, feeling a sense of relief at the beautiful sight of the district.

"So, are you 15?" Yamato asked, smiling at the sight of Maki enjoying herself.

"Uh, yeah…I just turned 15," Maki replied, still a little tense at the reality of it all.

"To be a teenager," she said, but before Maki could respond, the elevator came to a stop. "We're here, I'll take you where you need to go."

"Th-thank you," Maki stuttered, making Yamato laugh a little.

Stepping off the elevator, Maki found that they had just made it to yet another spacious area, but the roof wasn't so high up as the one downstairs. In the middle, was a desk that sat three people, wearing the same uniform Yamato was. The woman brought Maki towards the desk and said, "They'll help you with the details."

"Welcome," one of the ladies greeted as they approached the desk. Her name-tag held the name "Sato."

"Sato-san, she would like to schedule a meeting," Yamato explained, motioning to the stiff Maki.

Sato smiled at Maki before saying, "Congratulations on getting your letter."

 _Why is everyone congratulating me? I feel more depressed than happy._

But Maki didn't want to seem ungrateful in front of them, so she simply smiled back as she twirled her hair.

"May I have your name?" Sato asked, looking at the computer in front of her.

"Nishikino Maki."

"Ah, Nishikino?" one of the other woman behind the desk repeated. "Are you the daughter of the owner of Nishikino Hospital?" Maki nodded and the lady smiled at her. "Wow, so are you going to be a doctor, too?"

Maki slightly cringed. She was always asked this question and Maki always answered with a yes, but deep down, Maki was conflicted. She loved music, but she also had a desire to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor.

"Tachibana-san," Yamato sighed. "She's here for scheduling, not to be questioned about her future."

Tachibana laughed in embarrassment. "Ah, right, right, please forgive me," she said, looking at Maki.

"It's okay," Maki replied, but it really wasn't.

"Nishikino-san," Sato grabbed her attention. "When would you like to meet your partner?"

Without really thinking about it, Maki replied, "Tomorrow."

The three women looked taken aback. "Are you sure you don't want to prepare for at least a week maybe?" Sato asked her, smiling anxiously.

"I'd like to meet them soon, if possible," Maki stated.

Yamato stared at Maki for a while before turning to Sato, who was simply smiling. "I guess I understand your excitement."

 _Just the opposite, actually._

Sato typed away at the computer and Maki waited for a few minutes until Sato turned back at her. "You're just in luck," she said, "it seems your partner wants to meet with you at your earliest convenience."

 _Perfect._

"So, is tomorrow your final decision?" she asked. Maki nodded. "Then I'll let them know and place your meeting for four o'clock tomorrow."

"Thank you," Maki replied.

"I'll bring you back down to the lobby," Yamato offered. "Thank you for your help." She bowed to Sato and Tachibana before leading Maki back towards the elevators.

Maki didn't know how to feel: should she feel relieved that she was getting the meeting out of the way or should she feel nervous that she was meeting her supposed perfect match? It was getting confusing for her.

"You're a mysterious one," Yamato commented. Maki just stared at the woman, not knowing whether if she just complimented or insulted her. "Don't get it the wrong way," she continued. "I just haven't seen anyone wanting to meet their partner so early. I don't know if you're doing this because you actually want to meet them or if you have some other reason."

Maki's heart stopped for a second. _Did she just read my thoughts?_

"Whatever your reason," Yamato said, a small smile playing on her face. "I hope you'll be happy."

* * *

Maki took small sips of her drink through her straw, hardly having touched the food that sat in front of her. She didn't feel hungry; she was too busy trying to figure out answers to the one question that stayed on her mind all afternoon.

"Aoi-san, what does it mean to be happy?" Maki blurted out, startling the college student at such a sudden question. Aoi started coughing as she had choked on her drink. "Are you okay?" Maki stood up, but Aoi held up a hand to let her know she was fine.

"It's nothing," she replied, regaining her voice. "It's just…I didn't expect such a question from the great Maki-chan." Maki shot her a look, but Aoi just laughed at her junior. "What got you so curious?" Aoi asked, propping her elbows on the table and placing her chin on her hands like she always did when she was observing Maki.

Maki became nervous at the position Aoi had taken and she had turned to look out the window of the restaurant that the 20-year old had forced her to go to after practice. It was already dark out, but a lot of people were still walking around despite it being a school night.

"Well, one of the woman in the department said she hopes I'll be happy," Maki replied, her face turning red, somewhat wishing she never brought up the subject.

Aoi hummed in thought. "Is that so? Well, what do you think it is?"

Maki sighed. "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you, would I?"

"That's true, but why ask me?"

"Because you've been with your partner for four years now," Maki stated, still looking out the window, watching a group of middle school boys chase each other down the street. "I thought you could give me an idea of what she meant." Aoi stared at the redhead as if she was trying to see through her. "W-what?"

"I don't think the happiness I'm thinking about could be explained very clearly," Aoi answered, grinning at the younger girl.

"What do you mean?" Maki asked, turning to the older girl in curiosity.

Aoi smiled and looked out the window. "Happiness is this feeling that'll be so overwhelming at first, you wouldn't know if you should shout at the top of your lungs just to let it out. But you'll start to love that certain feeling, you start cherishing it because you'll realize that it's the greatest feeling in the world. One you never thought was possible. It's like you're flying high in the sky, your heart soaring along, you'll feel a little weak, but then the next thing you know, you want to run a marathon or swim across the ocean or, maybe for you, play a never-ending melody – a melody that's played by the beating of your heart. It's like nothing can stop you, nothing can break you; and it's a little scary because you don't want that happiness to end."

Maki took in everything her senior had said and realized she's never actually felt that type of way before, not even playing her music, which was frightening to think about. Staring at Aoi, she quietly asked, "When – when do you feel like that?"

"Everyday," Aoi quickly replied, smiling at the first-year.

"Everyday?" Maki asked, a little surprised at the answer.

Aoi hummed in cheerfulness. "Everyday, when I look at my partner and think about how lucky I am to have been paired with someone so special."

"Why do they make you feel that way?" Maki asked and Aoi smiled at how intrigued in the conversation the high schooler was since Maki was never one to show much emotion.

"Because he makes me a better person," Aoi replied. "He supports me in everything I do, he listens to what I have to say, and he states his opinions while respecting mine. He respects me and does anything he can do make me smile. I am who I am today because of him."

Maki grinned at her senior, but something inside Maki felt empty as she replayed every word Aoi said inside her head. She clutched her chest and tried to imagine how great of a feeling that was, but nothing came to mind.

 _A happiness that can't be explained…what does that feel like?_

* * *

Nico started running through the crowds of people piling up in the station of the business district. She was running late and it wasn't her fault; she had been put on cleaning duty for the rest of the week because of her outburst in the middle of class.

 _Stupid Nozomi, you're going to pay for this._

Nico kept running through the streets, passing by without a single glance back. She passed the people in business suits, she passed all the tall buildings, she passed the trees that swayed with the wind; she passed everything until she had reached her destination.

The Department of Marriage.

Nico regulated her breathing and fixed her uniform as best as she could before heading into the huge building. She looked around at the clean, white walls; this being only her second time in the department, she was still amazed.

"Ah, Yazawa-san." Nico turned to find the familiar face of Yamato, the young woman who had helped her when she first went there. The woman smiled at Nico and bowed. "Welcome back. Are you ready for your meeting?"

Nico wasn't ready, but there was no turning back now. "Y-yeah, of course Nico-Nii is ready to meet her partner. I'll amaze them with how great I am," Nico replied proudly, trying to hide the sound of her rapidly beating heart.

Yamato laughed at the younger girl and gestured toward the stairway. "Then let's not keep them waiting." Nico hesitatingly stepped into the elevator after Yamato; she took a deep breath and closed her eyes shut. "Are you okay, Yazawa-san?" Yamato asked, looking at the third-year with concern.

"I – I'm fine," Nico managed to say, trying to keep herself from shaking so much until the elevator came to a halt, signaling that they had reached their floor. Nico quickly stepped off and realized she hadn't been breathing.

"Nico-san?" a familiar voice said. Nico looked up – her eyes a little watery from holding her breath in for too long – to find a certain redhead first-year standing over her, looking at her curiously.

"M-Maki-chan?!" Nico cried out, surprised that the first-year was also at the Department.

Maki stepped back at Nico's sudden outburst. "There's no need to shout," she instructed her senior.

"I-it's – why are you – you're – what?"

Maki sighed and started twirling her hair. "I could be asking you the same question," she stated, looking at Nico with no emotion.

"Well, I'm here to meet my partner," Nico replied smugly. She stood straight up, one hand on her hip and the other one pointed at her chest.

"Oh, me too," Maki informed her with no excitement in her voice.

"Eh? You too?!" Nico blurted out loud, making everyone close by turn to look at the two high schoolers, standing in the middle of the lobby.

"I-I told you to stop shouting," Maki scolded, feeling embarrassed that people were staring at her.

"Oh…sorry."

Maki let out a long sigh before saying, "Yes, I'm meeting my partner today. I was supposed to meet them ten minutes ago but it's starting late because they're not here yet."

"Oh, I see," Nico replied softly. "Well, good luck."

"Yeah, you too," Maki said, not turning to look at her. Despite her apathetic facial expression, Nico noticed Maki's hand shaking and her constant hair twirling. _First-years these days,_ Nico thought with a small grin.

"I see you two are getting along," Yamato observed, looking at the both of them with a smile on her face. They both blushed a little, but tried to hide it by looking anywhere but each other. "So, are you two ready?"

"I mean I am," Nico replied, a little confused. "But why do the both of us have to be ready?"

"Is my partner here?" Maki asked Yamato, ignoring the fact that Nico had asked a question first much to Nico's annoyance. _First-years these days,_ she thought irritably.

Yamato smiled and replied to Maki's question, "Yes, they're here." Nico couldn't really say, but she thought she heard Maki say "Finally" under her breath.

"And to answer your question, Yazawa-san," Yamato stated, turning to the smaller girl. "Of course you two need to be ready. It is an official meeting with Department representatives as well."

Nico stared at her for a moment. "I still don't get it."

Maki exhaled impatiently. "You ask too many questions and you still don't understand."

Nico shot her a look. "I'm just curious. No harm in asking a simple question for clarification."

"Well, what's the point in asking if you still don't get it?" Maki answered back.

"Well, what's the point in being so impatient?" Nico retorted.

They were both glaring at each other with so much displeasure as if they were trying to burn each other with just their eyes; everyone else had stepped further away from them in case they were caught in the crossfires.

Yamato giggled at the two girls, forcing them to turn to her. "My, my, there's no need to fight so early in the relationship, is there?"

Both Nico and Maki jolted up from astonishment and simultaneously said, "Relationship?"

With the same look of shock written on their faces, they slowly turned to face each other, neither one saying a word. The room went silent as people watched the two fighting teenagers go mute as they stared at each other as if they were in some kind of drama show. Maki wanted to tell them to mind their own business, but the information she just received was too much that it was hard to put sentences together. Nico's heart started to beat faster, her hands shaking from nervousness. Maki's face had turned a shade of pink, her mouth slightly twitching. Red eyes stayed locked on to purple ones, waiting for one of them to say or do something, but just as if they had read each other's mind, like a couple would, they both whispered in disbelief.

"No…"

"…way."

* * *

 **And that's one more chapter done. I'll post Chapter 3 as soon as possible so stay with me on this one.**


	4. Chapter 3: Mother-in-law

"What do you mean we're a 99% match?!" Nico interrogated, slamming her hands on the table that sat between the two teenagers and the Department representatives.

After what felt like forever of staring at each other, Yamato had brought them into a room down the hallway. It was moderately sized with a window occupying one side – something Nico absolutely refused to go near which resulted in another bickering match, only being stopped when the doors opened with the two representatives stepping in.

"It obviously means one thing," Maki stated, twirling her hair as she sat cross-legged in her chair. Nico turned to her with a scowl, but Maki didn't react to it, staring at Nico with boredom.

The older one of the representatives sighed before grabbing their attention: "Yazawa-san," she said, fixing her glasses that started to slide down her nose. She looked around her mid-40s and emitted a very solemn atmosphere, never having smiled once and always speaking in a serious tone. "We used every bit of information given to us and this was the final result. You and Nishikino-san are no doubt a 99% match. We've ran all the tests many times."

"Then run it again!" Nico demanded.

The younger representative laughed nervously as everyone turned to him. He looked new and almost uncomfortable to be in the room. He had not said one word excluding his introduction in the beginning in which he messed up his own name and fell off his chair when he sat too far to the right.

"What's so funny?" Nico asked, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I-it's just…it's rare for a pair to be a 99% match," he stated, pulling on his collar with a nervous smile.

"And your point is…?" Nico said, annoyed when he didn't continue his explanation.

He jumped a little in surprise as if he wasn't expecting to be talking so much during the meeting. "I just thought…you'd be happier about this news. I mean, the best partners are probably only 1% of the population and these are the couples who had a 99% match." He tried to keep a smile on his face as Nico stared at him like she was trying to read the meaning behind what he said, but Maki could see the sweat rolling down his forehead.

"He's right, Yazawa-san," the older woman stated. "The best marriage partners in Japan were 99% matched. It's a rare thing to have. Most couples are only about 95% at most. The last 4% makes a difference."

Maki spoke up before Nico could say something unnecessary again. "What do you mean by 'best' couples? What makes us any different?" Nico slightly twitched at the word "us" to which Maki rolled her eyes.

"I'll show you," she stated, pressing a button on what looked like a complicated TV remote. Popping up on the side of the wall closest to them was a projection screen filled with what looked like random data. Upon looking at it closer, Maki realized it was their information spread across the screen.

"What is this?" Nico asked, looking utterly amazed at the projection screen.

"It's all your information," the older representative answered, pressing another button on the remote. Maki's official Department picture appeared on the screen followed by Nico's right across from it with each of their data slowly displaying below their pictures.

Maki noticed Nico's big smile in her picture and couldn't help but stare. It looked like the smile she gave Maki when they had first met. She looked at the third-year beside her who was still staring at the screen in front of them as things appeared and disappeared with a press of a button.

"What?" Nico asked, her face turning into a scowl when she realized the younger girl was staring at her.

"How un-cute."

"What?!"

"The information shown right now is the answers you gave us throughout the years," the representative continued, ignoring the two girls in hopes the bickering would stop, at least until the meeting was over. "As you can see, almost all of it completely matches up." And neither of them could deny that fact. There were check marks everywhere on the screen, indicating that their answers matched up better together than with anyone else's.

"And what about all the other information you have?" Maki asked them. "Like background information."

The woman looked at the younger representative, who was looking as dazed as Nico at the screen. The older woman clenched her teeth and nudged her partner representative who quickly snapped out of his trance. "Oh, right, that's my field," he said and clearing his throat, he continued, "Well, as you can see there were some differences in your background and family information, but nothing too drastic that may result in a bad marriage down the road." He quickly pressed a button on the remote without looking.

The three women stared at him in silence before Nico informed him, "Uh…I know it's not my job, but that's not our information." He looked up at the projection, realizing his emails from his wife were being displayed to all of them. His face quickly turned red and he sat frozen from embarrassment as Nico pointed out, "From what it says here, your partner seems to be really mad – "

Maki had grabbed Nico away from the screen and was holding her hand over the older girl's mouth to prevent her from saying anymore. "Are you stupid? Don't go reading other people's stuff." Nico mumbled into Maki's hand, but Maki didn't care what she had to say.

 _They paired me up with an idiot._

The older representative sighed as she placed her hand on her forehead. "Is there anything more you would like to know?" she asked, sounding like she hoped they would say no.

"I think we have everything we need," Maki replied, still covering Nico's mouth as the third-year tried to speak behind it.

"Then we should start wrapping up this meeting before the rookie here dies from anxiety," the representative said, taking out a document from her suitcase. "I just need the both of you to sign this. It's for the Department to recognize you as partners."

Maki let go of Nico who had given up speaking. They both quickly signed it; Nico's looking more like an autograph.

"As of here on out, both of you are now life partners," the woman said matter of factly, stamping the document and taking out a small black box from the other representative's suitcase as he sat there in silence. She opened it to reveal two thin silver bracelets, one for each of the girls.

"What's that?" Nico asked. She stared at it, thinking she's seen these things before, but never asking about it. _Maybe Nozomi and Eli?_

"This is a symbol that you accept your life partner," she replied, taking each one out slowly and handing it over to the teenagers. "You put it on each other. Like a pre-proposal."

"Pre-proposal?" Maki questioned, staring at the silver bracelet in her hand.

"Even if both of you are considered life partners, someone still needs to propose for there to be a marriage," the representative informed them. Both Nico and Maki sat erect at the thought of one of them proposing to the other. "You don't have to worry about that now," she continued, realizing the girls were starting to get nervous. "You just put these bracelets on each other's left wrist until that day comes." The room went silent as both girls were still in thought about a proposal in the future and how that would probably turn out.

"Here, give me your hand," Nico said, her cheeks a little red as she looked anywhere but Maki's face. She had placed her hand out for Maki to take. Maki gulped at the sight of an embarrassed Nico and started to feel her own heart beat a little faster. Without saying a word, Maki slowly placed her hand into Nico's, jumping a little at how soft it was. Nico clipped the silver bracelet with caution to make sure she doesn't hurt her junior and Maki quickly did the same for Nico before letting go of her hand.

Maki, not wanting to look Nico in the face, stared at the bracelet wrapped around her wrist. She turned it around a few times before realizing that something was embedded into it. "Our partner's name is engraved into it," she said out loud, reading the name "Yazawa Nico" over and over again.

"That's right," the representative said, "it's to add some sentimentality to it. Otherwise, everyone would be walking around wearing bracelets for no reason."

"No reason, huh?" Nico said in a quiet and curious tone. Maki watched her senior inspect the bracelet clipped on her wrist, grinning a little as her finger passed over Maki's name.

"Since we're done here," the representative said, breaking the moment. "You may go enjoy the rest of your day as partners."

Maki looked at Nico who simply said with a smile, "Thank you for your time. And once your friend over there starts moving again," Nico pointed at the still shocked man, "you can advise him to get his wife a bouquet of flowers; I would get my partner flowers if I made her mad."

Maki's face started to turn red. "W-what are you saying? That's unnecessary."

"What? You wouldn't accept the flowers I give you?" Nico questioned, pretending to be hurt by the comment.

"T-that's not what I meant – "

"Oh, so you would accept them?" Nico smirked at the flustered Maki.

Maki wanted so badly to smack that smile off her face. "We're leaving!" she declared, grabbing Nico by her blazer's collar and dragging the smaller girl out the room before she could protest.

The representative grinned as the two girls disappeared out of sight. _And they thought they weren't a 99% match_. She turned to the still frozen representative beside her and asked, "How long do you think till they'll realize it?"

The young man unfroze and slowly turned to his senior to answer: "M-maybe a year."

The woman hummed in reply. "A year, you say? I'll give them a little less than that by the way things are looking."

* * *

"You didn't have to drag me out like that," Nico said, crossing her arms over her chest and giving Maki an irritated look once Maki had let her go.

"I-it's because you were making fun of me," Maki argued, giving Nico an offended one.

Nico sighed. "I wasn't making fun of you," she stated in a serious tone. "I was being pretty serious back there. If I did ever make you mad, I wouldn't just hide from it. That'd be pretty stupid."

Maki's face softened as she listened to the third-year's words. It was almost paralyzing to see such a mature Nico compared to the one throwing a fit in the meeting room not too long ago.

The elevator doors opened as they reached the common area. Maki started to head for them until Nico pulled the girl's sleeve. "W-wait, w-we're leaving now?"

"Yeah, we can't stay here forever," Maki replied.

"J-just give me some time," Nico requested, looking a bit nervous which made Maki suspicious.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, watching Nico's hand shake as she held on to Maki's blazer sleeve. Nico shook her head, but Maki didn't believe her, not with Nico breathing so heavily. Maki looked at the closing doors of the elevator and her eyes grew wide in realization. "Don't tell me," Maki said. "Nico-san…"

Nico's head shot up to look at the first-year. "Don't say it," she warned through her chattering teeth.

"Are you…"

"Maki-chan, don't say it."

"…afraid of heights?"

Nico had bent down and covered her ears as if that was going to stop her fear. Maki watched the trembling girl and sighed. She stuck her hand out in front of Nico and said, "I promise I won't let you go."

 _I just said something so embarrassing._

"Maki-chan…" Nico looked at the younger girl to which Maki turned away to hide her red face. "You promise?"

"Just hurry up," Maki replied sternly, still looking away from Nico, her cheeks feeling hot.

Nico took the younger girl's hand and hesitantly followed her towards the elevators. As Maki pressed the elevator button down, Nico shut her eyes closed and her grip tightened around Maki's bigger hand to which Maki almost yelped in surprise. For such a small girl, she was pretty strong.

"Nico-san – "

"Please drop the 'san'," Nico asked as she still held her stiff position. "It sounds too formal." With how helpless she looked, Maki obliged without arguing.

"Then, Nico…chan?" Maki said, remembering that Nico calls her the same way. Nico nodded slowly in agreement. "Nico-chan, just stay close to me and don't turn around."

Nico whispered with an okay as the elevator doors opened. They both stepped in, Maki guiding Nico as the raven-haired kept her eyes closed. The two girls stood a foot apart from each other, Nico's hand gripped tightly around Maki's. Maki watched her senior shake in panic as the elevator started to slowly descend; she pulled Nico closer until their shoulders touched, surprising Nico that she had stopped trembling.

But now, Maki's hand started to sweat from being too close to the other girl that she was starting to regret pulling her in. Nico smelled really good, like strawberries, it was making Maki's heart flutter; she only hoped the older girl wouldn't hear it. Maki started shaking from nervousness, closing her eyes to try and stay calm.

 _How long is this elevator ride?_

The elevator doors opened as they had reached the first floor; the two girls stepped off and Nico let go of Maki's now moist hand. Maki quickly wiped it against her blazer and took a deep breath to slow her heartbeat.

"Thanks," Nico said. "Sorry about that."

"It's nothing," Maki replied nonchalantly, her heartbeat back at its normal pace. "We all have fears."

"Then what's yours?"

Maki was taken aback by this question. "Huh? W-why do you want to know?" she asked.

"'Cause you're my partner now," Nico replied. "Shouldn't I try to get to know you better?"

But before Maki could say anything in response, someone had called out to her. "Maki! Are you done with your meeting?"

Maki turned to find her own mother, walking towards them with big smile on her face. "M-mama?! What are you doing here?" Maki asked with a look of surprise. "I thought you and Papa were working till late."

The older woman giggled before saying, "Well, one of us wanted to be here to surprise you. And we wanted to meet the person who is able to call themselves our daughter's partner."

Maki couldn't form words upon the sudden request to meet Nico. She hadn't even told Nico anything about her parents or what to expect when meeting them. Heck, she didn't even know Nico that well to know if she'd be able to meet their expectations. If Nico wasn't ready, this could look bad for the both of them. _Shouldn't the 'meeting the parents' part be so much later in the relationship? Not on day one._

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Nishikino," Nico said with a bow, surprising both redheads. "I'm Yazawa Nico, a third year at Otonokizaka High. I'm honored to say that I'm your daughter's life partner and that I would like to assure you that I will take great care of her."

Maki stared in disbelief at the Nico that stood in front of her. _WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?!_ Maki turned to face her mother, waiting for her reaction to such an introduction, but she was still staring at the smiling Nico as if she was just as shocked as Maki.

"Maki…" she said softly, her gaze not moving from the small third-year.

"Yes, Mama?" Maki asked nervously.

"Your partner…"

 _Here it comes._

"…is absolutely adorable!" she finished with a huge smile on her face. Maki stood there dumbfounded as her mother walked over to Nico and taking one of Nico's hands in hers, said, "Nico-chan, I'm very grateful to have met you today. Please take good care of my daughter."

Nico nodded. "I will be sure to do everything to assure her happiness."

Maki watched this exchange between her partner and her mother, not knowing whether to feel great that they were getting along or weird…that they were getting along.

"Your mom and dad must be happy that you've finally met your partner," Mrs. Nishikino said.

"Actually, it's just my mom," Nico informed her honestly.

"Oh, I'm so very sorry," Maki's mother apologized, bowing a little.

"Ah, no, don't be, it's really fine," Nico replied, smiling to assure her that there was nothing to worry about.

Maki stiffened as she heard this new information; she didn't know Nico's family situation yet and she never would've thought someone like Nico would say something so heart wrenching.

"Well I'm sure your mom is very happy right now," Maki's mother said with a smile.

"I'm positive she is, Mrs. Nishikino," Nico said, returning the expression.

"Please, you can call me mom." Nico jolted up in surprise at the offer and Maki started to violently cough from shock. "Maki, are you okay?" her mother asked, turning to face her daughter.

"I-I'm okay," she informed her.

"Mrs. Nishikino," Nico said, trying to break the awkwardness her and Maki felt. "Is it okay if I just start off slow? But I'm sure I'll be able to call you mom sooner or later."

Maki started coughing again to which Nico realized what she just said. "I – I mean, it's not like I want to marry your daughter." Maki's mom raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I meant right now – I don't want to marry her right now. N-not that I wouldn't if I had the chance to. I mean, we didn't even kiss yet – "

"Okay, Mama, I think it's time we go," Maki intervened after recovering from her double coughing fit, stepping in between her mother and a very red Nico. "I'm sure Nico-chan needs to get home, too."

Her mother looked at her tense daughter then back at a timid Nico, before agreeing with a smile. "I should let you be on your way now, Nico-chan. I'm sorry to have surprised you like this, but I'm very glad I was able to meet you."

"D-Don't worry about it," Nico tried to say confidently.

"Get home safely and be careful on the train," Mrs. Nishikino reminded.

"Yes, ma'am," Nico replied, smiling weakly as she was still recovering from her embarrassment.

Maki's mother started heading for the entrance with Maki following right after. After what felt like a far enough distance, Maki turned back to find Nico still standing there in thought.

"Maki," her mother said as they walked out of the building.

"Yes, Mama?" Maki asked, standing next to her mother as they waited for the pedestrian light to turn green.

"I just want to give you one important piece of advice when you're in a relationship," she said in an earnest manner that it made Maki curious. "No matter what happens, always communicate with your partner. Whether you're happy and delighted, or upset and mad, or sad and bitter; communication is everything. Remember that, okay?

"You've always been a stubborn girl growing up; I would always tell your father you got that from him in which he would disagree," she laughed at the thought before continuing. "But that stubbornness has also been your strength; you hated giving up on things until you saw it the way you wanted it to be. We always wondered what kind of person your partner would end up being and we just hoped it would be someone who learns how to love every part of you, even that stubborn side. But in order for Nico to learn to love you, you need to let her in. I know you have a full schedule all the time, but don't shut Nico out. Even if you are considered life partners, that would mean nothing if there's no emotion in it. So please, for us, for Nico, and most importantly...for yourself, be the person your 50-year old self would be proud of."

Maki stared at her mother in awe. When Maki was younger, she was the kind of mother who knew her daughter more than Maki herself. But as Maki grew up, her parents were hardly around even in times when Maki needed them the most. But standing on the sidewalk in front of DOM, her mother was there, standing next to her. Despite all the times they were separated, Maki still felt her mother knew more about her than she did and that made Maki happy inside.

Her mom smiled as they started to cross the street. "I'm sure Nico-chan wants to know you for who you really are."

* * *

Nico groaned in exhaustion as she sat on her chair, laying her head on the cold desk, and staring out the window of her classroom. The weekend passed by without Nico and Maki talking since the younger girl left with her mother. Nico didn't know what to think about finally meeting her partner; she didn't feel any different from before. Although, Nico did beat herself up all weekend long about her slip up when talking to Maki's mother; now she felt too tired to do anything.

"What's wrong, Nicocchi? You're awfully quiet this morning," Nozomi observed, standing over the smaller girl with her hands behind her back.

"I just have a lot of things to going on," Nico casually replied, not looking up at the purple-haired girl.

Nozomi stared at the smaller girl before saying, "Say, Nicocchi…" Nico hummed to let the other girl know she was listening. "Did you meet your partner?"

Nico instantly jumped out of her seat and faced the other girl. "What makes you think that?" she asked, trying so hard not to stutter. But Nozomi had caught on and just smiled at her childhood friend.

"So I got it right then," she said.

Nico sighed. "How'd you find out?" She sat back down in defeat.

"I know everything," Nozomi stated optimistically, holding a card between her index and middle fingers. Nico narrowed her eyes at Nozomi before looking out the window again, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "And your bracelet is showing."

Nico quickly tried to cover it with the sleeve of her pink jacket while Nozomi laughed at the useless attempt. "There's no point, Nicocchi, everyone is already talking about it."

"Tch, nosy people," Nico said in irritation, scanning the now full room of her classmates. They were all huddled in their friend groups, talking and laughing.

"Should you really be saying that?" Nozomi asked, sitting at her desk and facing Nico. Nico waved her hand as if to dismiss Nozomi of the conversation, but the fortuneteller simply ignored it as usual. "So why did you want to hide it?"

Nico turned to face her friend, thinking for a moment before answering. "I just…don't know how to feel yet. I don't feel any different. I thought I would be feeling something…even just a little."

Nozomi hummed in reply. "You only met your partner last week, right? Every relationship takes some time. It's just all new to you."

"Was that how it was for you and Eli?" Nico asked, curious to hear how it was for the splendid couple of two years.

"I guess you can say that," Nozomi answered with a smile. "It was weird at first. I didn't know how to act or what to do. It's like one day, it's just you and then the next thing you know, it's you and your partner. But we just tried to be ourselves around each other and we eventually – "

"Became perfect," Nico finished, surprising Nozomi.

"I – I wouldn't go that far," the purple-haired said, her face turning red from the compliment.

Nico grinned. "You're right. It's only been a few days. I shouldn't worry so much. Thanks, Nozomi." Too embarrassed, Nozomi just nodded.

Nico looked out the window to look across the courtyard at one of the first-year classrooms. She watched a group of first-year girls talking by the window and then turned her attention to another group finishing homework until she found her target.

She was alone, listening to music, and staring out the open window, her red hair blowing as the wind flew into the room. Not too long after, two other girls joined her at her desk. They talked for a few minutes until the orange-haired one grabbed Maki's wrist and started talking frantically. Maki looked flustered as her friend interrogated her, the brown-haired one just watching in shock as her two friends went back and forth. After words were exchanged, Maki looked as if she had given up the argument. Both her friends cheered loudly that Nico could've swore she heard it, attracting attention from the other girls in their classroom. Maki nodded to whatever the other girl asked before some of their classmates surrounded her table in interest. The orange-haired one fearlessly jumped over Maki's desk and hugged Maki, but the impact resulted in both girls falling back from her chair.

Nico laughed as she watched both girls get up from the ground, Maki scolding her friend as the girl apologized a bunch of times. Other girls from the class started to ask the redhead questions and it was no surprise to Nico that Maki looked like she didn't want to talk about it, her face going red that Nico could see it from where she was sitting.

"Nicocchi," Nico heard Nozomi say. Nico turned away from the entertainment and looked at the older girl. "Can I ask what your percent match was?"

"We were 99%," Nico answered casually, knowing her friend wouldn't react too much.

"Eh? 99%?!"

 _And of course I was wrong._

The girls in Nico's class turned to face the two friends, eyes filled with curiosity. Nico slapped her forehead, wishing she had just lied about it. Nico's classmates started to gather around her as Nozomi looked apologetically at her smaller friend, but Nico just glared, signaling Nozomi that she was not forgiven. As questions were flying around the raven-haired girl, Nico sighed and quickly glanced out the window to see that Maki was still in the same situation.

 _I guess if one goes through it, the other one does too._

* * *

"I'm home," Nico exclaimed as she entered the small apartment, carrying grocery bags in both hands.

"Onee-chan," the youngest sister, Cocoa, said, popping her head out of the door that lead to the common area. "You're home early today."

"Yeah, I'm finally off cleaning duty," Nico replied, patting her sister on the head as she passed her. Nico placed the grocery bags down on the dining table where the youngest, Cotaro, sat with his toys.

"Food," Cotaro said, pointing at the bags.

"That's right, Cotaro," Nico praised, trying to wipe the snot that started to drip down his nose, but Cotaro kept moving his head to avoid the tissue.

"Onee-sama," the other sister, Cocoro, called out with pleading eyes, "can you help me with my homework?"

Nico looked at her sister while she struggled with the youngest. "Not now, Cocoro, I need to start cooking dinner. Cotaro, if you just keep still, this will end faster." Cotaro stopped shifting his head, giving Nico the chance to quickly wipe his nose before he became fussy again.

"But Onee-sama, I really need help," Cocoro whined.

"I'm sorry, Cocoro, but you have to wait until after," Nico told her as Cotaro sneezed, resulting in more snot coming out. "Agh! Cotaro, seriously?" The third-year started to struggle with her younger brother again as he refused to be interrupted from his playing.

"Onee-chan! There's something wrong with the TV!" Cocoa exclaimed, running into the kitchen, waving the remote in her hand.

"Hold on, Cocoa, I'm a little busy," Nico replied. She held the toddler's head gently to not hurt Cotaro, but Cotaro threw his toy across the table in a fit of irritation, hitting the two bags of groceries hard enough that they fell off with a loud crash.

"Cotaro!" Nico scolded. The boy looked apologetic; realizing what he did, he whispered a "sorry" to which Nico patted his head with a sigh. "It's okay. You didn't know." Nico walked over to the fallen bags and inspected the damage. The cans had popped open and the vegetables were smashed.

 _Now what am I going to do for dinner?_

"I'm home!" someone had proclaimed from the entranceway.

"Mama!" both Cocoro and Cocoa exclaimed running towards the taller woman. "You're home early, too, Mama."

The three of them walked into the kitchen to see Nico cleaning the mess Cotaro had made. "My, what happened here?"

"Just a bit of an accident," Nico answered, wiping up the last of the spilled food. "You're home early, Mama. Did something happen at work?"

Their mother smiled and said, "I just thought we should celebrate since you met your partner. I know that was last week, but we didn't do anything, so I thought we should go out for dinner." Nico looked at the older lady, a little confused, but her two younger sisters were already jumping in excitement.

"A-are you sure, Mama?" Nico asked, a little worried. "We don't have to go out. I'm fine staying home."

"Now, Nico," her mother started. "It's fine to go out as a family once in a while. So go get changed out of your uniform. I'll take care of the other three."

Nico went to her room without saying anymore. She quickly changed to the first thing that laid on top of her drawer, not caring what she put on – not like she was going to run into anyone anyway – and met with her family at the entrance.

Nico was a little concerned about going out. Her family was never rich and her mom worked a ton of hours to keep her four children happy and healthy. Ever since Nico was old enough, she was the one taking care of the home as her mother worked in the office almost 24/7. She made time for her kids as much as she could, but Nico always saw the tired face behind the smile.

"Are you ready?" her mother asked, tying Cotaro's shoes.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Cocoa said in utter happiness, jumping up and down. The two girls opened the door and ran down the hallway towards the elevator, Cotaro behind them as he tried to keep up. Nico walked with her mother, watching the three youngest run with excitement. Nico laughed as Cotaro fell and Cocoro picked him up.

"Nico," she heard her mother say. Nico turned to the older woman, waiting for her mom to continue. "I know you've been doing your best to take my place when I'm not around and I'm grateful that you do it so well. You take great care of your siblings and I couldn't be prouder of you as your mother." Nico grinned.

"But I want you to know that you shouldn't place everything on yourself. I know sometimes, you feel like its all your responsibility and that you should be the one to bear the burden. But that's not true. You have people who care for you and are willing to lend you a hand when you need it. I'm telling you this because you have a partner now and I'm sure she doesn't want you carrying all the trouble; that'll hurt both of you. She'll listen to you and even if she doesn't understand at first, she'll spend her time figuring it out with you. Don't keep her in the dark for your pride because I'm sure your partner wants to accept you for just the way you are."

Nico stared at the woman beside her, not knowing what to say. Having lost her father was hard on Nico and her three siblings, but it must have been harder for her mother to watch as he slowly faded away. Despite all the smiles and reassurances from her mother growing up, at this moment, Nico understood what her mother probably felt having to live on after the loss of her partner - her loved one. It wasn't until Nico started to help around the house that she was able to see a genuine smile on her mother's weary face.

Her mother smiled as they had caught up to the other three by the elevator. "I'm sure she'll love you, but only if you let her."

* * *

 **I finished this faster than expected. Thank you for your comments; a lot more stuff is coming up so hope you enjoyed this chapter and see you guys in the next update.**


	5. Chapter 4: The Beginning

**Thank you for your reviews, they definitely mean a lot.**

 **Sadly, I have some bad news. I know I've been updating pretty quickly for the past two weeks, but I have uni. finals next week so I'm not too sure when I can update the next chapter. But I promise, I'll get it up as soon as possible so not to keep you guys waiting too long.**

 **With that, please enjoy!**

* * *

"It's been a week and you still haven't talked to her?" Aoi asked the redhead as she closed her folder and stuffed it into her bag. Maki had stayed back at the studio for another hour more to practice for the upcoming competition that was only two weeks away. Aoi insisted on waiting for her. "That's a little odd."

"What's so odd about it?" Maki asked, slowly closing the fallboard and slinging her school bag on her shoulder.

"I didn't expect you to be super excited," Aoi replied, leaning against the doorframe. "But I thought you would put a little effort into it. Don't you both go to the same school?"

"Yeah, we do," Maki said, uninterested in the topic. "I've seen her around, but every time she sees me, she goes in the other direction." Aoi stared at her junior as Maki stood in front of her, waiting for Aoi to move so she could get through. Aoi squinted her eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's your face," she replied bluntly.

"Excuse me?" Maki asked, bewildered by the fact that Aoi said something so candidly.

"Your face always looks like…well that," she gestured to Maki's impassive face. "It's almost intimidating."

Maki sighed out of apathy. "What do you want me to do about that?"

"You should smile more," Aoi suggested. "I'm sure she'll feel more welcome to talk to you if you stopped looking so damn bored all the time. Here, let me help you." She pinched Maki's cheeks and started to stretch them out to pull a smile. Maki tried to push the older girl's hands off, but Aoi was tenacious.

"Okay, okay, I will, just let go of me," Maki said through the struggle. Aoi let go of the first-year and laughed at how red her cheeks were. Maki ended up giggling alongside her.

"There!" Aoi exclaimed, pointing at Maki abruptly, scaring the younger girl. "Now if you just do that more often, she won't be so scared."

"I'm not scaring her," Maki protested, glaring at Aoi. "We're just not used to this whole relationship thing. I don't even know her that well."

"Which is why you two need to start talking," the college student pointed out. Maki groaned when she realized she had just proven Aoi's point. "Oh come on now, it won't be that bad. If you guys were 99% matched, then you should have tons of things to talk about."

Maki averted her gaze from the older girl. "T – that's not the problem," Maki whispered, fidgeting with her bag as she said it.

"Huh? Then what's the problem?" Aoi asked, a look of confusion on her face.

The tips of Maki's ears started to feel hot and her heart began to beat faster at the anticipation of saying what her real worry was. "I – It's me."

Aoi raised an eyebrow. "What's 'you'?"

"I've had a lot of chances to talk to her at school, but I didn't because I was too scared that I might mess up," Maki admitted, not looking at the older girl. Aoi didn't reply as silence filled the studio room. Maki could feel her cheeks turning red.

After what felt like a lifetime, Aoi started laughing, surprising Maki at the uncalled for reaction. "It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Aoi said in between her laughs. "It never occurred to me that you would be the scared one. The great Nishikino Maki, the one who never gives anyone the time of day, scared that she'll mess up."

Maki huffed as Aoi wiped the tears from her eyes before continuing, "Maki-chan, I don't think she'll care if you mess up. I honestly think she wants to get to know you better. I'm sure she's just as nervous as you are."

"Then what do I do?" Maki asked, sounding a little desperate that Aoi sensed the high schooler wanted to talk to her partner.

"Well first things first," Aoi started. "Approach her; stop worrying about the possible mistakes you might make. Of course it's going to feel forced in the beginning, but then you'll start to get the hang of it. She'll start to feel comfortable around you if you show that you're interested in getting to know her."

Maki thought about how natural it was talking to Nico during their first meeting. She didn't understand why she felt edgy now that they were officially partners.

 _Does being in a relationship really change things?_

"I'll try," Maki replied, still a little worried that things will turn out bad.

"Oh, and Maki-chan," Aoi said as she started to walk out the door, Maki following after her. Maki looked up at the senior. "I was being serious about smiling more. You look so much better with it." Aoi grinned at the redhead before turning to walk down the hall, leaving Maki blushing.

"Compliments won't change my mind about the restaurant tonight," Maki announced as she caught up to the 20-year old. Aoi pouted at the younger girl, but Maki turned away from her.

Both girls walked into the elevator once the doors had opened up and they silently listened to the elevator music. Maki's phone rang when she received a text from her mother telling her to be careful on her way home. Maki read it once and replied with an okay before placing it into her bag. Aoi watched her junior do this.

"I know!" she said, breaking the silence. "Why don't you invite your partner? I'd like to meet her."

"Eh? No way," Maki quickly rejected. "I don't even know her email or number."

Aoi stared at Maki in disbelief for a few seconds until saying, "Are you kidding me? You didn't exchange contact information. Are you guys even partners? And here, I thought you were smart." Aoi placed a hand on her forehead in disapproval.

"I just didn't think about it at the time," Maki defended herself, crossing her arms over her chest. "Mama surprised us and it was getting awkward."

Aoi groaned in annoyance as they stepped off the elevator and headed for the exit. "At this rate, you'll get nowhere."

It was a Friday and the night air was just right. Maki liked the springtime; it wasn't so cold like winter or hot as summer. She enjoyed watching all the once dead greenery around her start to grow back slowly. That was if she didn't cope herself inside the studio. And with the competition coming up, she didn't have the time to enjoy spring to its fullest.

"Hey, Maki-chan," Aoi said, grabbing the first-year's attention. "That girl goes to your school, doesn't she?" She was pointing a little further down the sidewalk to where a girl stood outside a small shop.

Maki looked to where the college student was looking at and realized immediately the familiar raven hair in pigtails.

"Eh? Nico-chan?"

"You know her?" Aoi asked, looking excited, as Maki stared at the third-year who's back was turned to them.

"Oh…uh, yeah, I do," Maki said, not wanting Aoi to know that the girl a few feet away was the partner she was scared to talk to.

"You should go say hi; maybe you can finally make friends," Aoi mocked. Maki glared at her until returning her gaze back at the third-year. Aoi just laughed under her breath. "Are you going to say hi or not?"

But before Maki could decide, another girl wearing the school uniform walked out of the store and approached the unaware Nico, scaring her. Maki couldn't hear from where she was standing, but from the way Nico was moving around frantically, she was getting mad at the taller girl, but she only responded by smiling and pinching Nico's cheeks. Nico flailed in attempt to make her let go, which she finally did after a few more seconds. They started walking further down the sidewalk until turning to cross the street together, the taller girl grabbing Nico's hand without hesitation; Nico flinched, but let the other girl hold her hand as they made it safely on the other side and disappeared behind a building.

"You didn't say hi," Aoi pointed out.

Maki stared where Nico and the girl disappeared while saying, "It's fine. I can say hi to her at school." Aoi huffed in disappointment before she started walking ahead of the junior.

Maki stood frozen, her eyes not moving from that one spot.

 _If it's fine, then why do I feel uneasy?_

* * *

"Nozomi, how many times do I have to tell you not to hold my hand like I'm a little kid?" Nico hissed, trying her best to free her hand, but Nozomi was gripping it tightly around hers.

"But Nicocchi is a little kid," Nozomi said with a smile. "Look how small you are."

"Don't let me punch you," Nico threatened, her left hand already balled up into a fist.

Nozomi laughed at the smaller girl. "What's wrong with holding your hand? We're childhood friends. We've done this a bunch of times."

"It's the reason you're holding my hand!" Nico argued, her barred hand violently trying to shake itself free from Nozomi's, but for some reason, Nozomi insisted on holding on to it. "Why won't you let go? We already crossed the street."

"Oh, just reasons," the purple-haired replied with a grin.

Nico stared at her, trying to figure out her motives, before saying, "That's not a good enough argument. Just let go already, you're squeezing it too tight."

"That's because you're trying to escape," Nozomi said.

Nico groaned in defeat. For someone who was seen as so innocent in front of everyone else, there were only two people in this whole world who knew the real Nozomi – manipulative, too carefree, and an eerie know-it-all.

"Nozomi, are you harassing Nico again?" the blonde had approached them. She was just standing there, but she looked so cool and alluring doing it that a bunch of people passing by would whisper and then giggle when Eli glanced at them. It made Nico jealous.

"Harassing? How could you accuse me of such a thing, Elicchi?" Nozomi said with a fake pained tone.

Eli sighed. She knew Nozomi more than Nico did; nothing fazed her anymore. Eli stuck her hand out towards the purple-haired before saying, "Just let go of Nico's hand and hold on to mine."

Nozomi blushed at the assertive Eli and nodded while letting go of Nico's crushed hand. She slowly slid her hand into Eli's before they started to walk, Nico right behind them.

After a moment of silent walking, Nozomi turned to the raven-haired. "So, Nicocchi, what is it that you wanted to talk about that you demanded we meet now?"

"W – well, I, sort of…or I mean I do, have a little problem," Nico replied, her voice shaking that it created an arousal of suspicion from her two friends.

"What's the problem?" Eli asked, slowing down so Nico could catch up to them.

Nico took a deep breath. "Well, you see…" Nico trailed off and started to twiddle her thumbs in nervousness as she stopped walking, her two friends following her lead.

"Nicocchi," Nozomi started, slightly annoyed that Nico was trying to avoid the subject when she was the one who brought it up. "If you don't tell us in the next five seconds, you'll be paying the ultimate punishment." Nozomi lifted up her free hand in a C-shape, indicating the start of her Washi Washi Max.

"Nozomi…" Eli groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I don't know what to do!" Nico yelled, her arms covering her small chest in an effort to protect herself.

Both Nozomi and Eli stared at the smaller girl in confusion. "What do you mean you don't know what to do?" Eli asked.

"Every time I see her, I get so nervous," Nico admitted. "I keep telling myself to just go up to her and say something, but she looks so damn intimidating with that unemotional face of hers." Nico covered her face with her hands and then let them slide down in frustration.

Nozomi simply grinned. "Nicocchi, are you scared of a first-year?"

"Agh!" Nico jolted back from the comment. "I'm an upperclassman. I – I'm not scared of some first-year. She's my junior."

"But more importantly, she's your partner," Eli stated factually. Nico turned to the less sarcastic one of the couple with a look of interest. "It's okay to be nervous around her. But you should just stop running and say something. It'll get easier after that."

Nico hummed while digesting Eli's advice. "I just have to say something. That should be easy enough."

"Then why haven't you said anything yet?" Nozomi asked in a teasing tone.

Nico clenched her teeth at the smirking girl while Eli said, "Just when I calm her down, you come back in."

"But isn't that way we're partners?" Nozomi replied, smiling at the blonde while Nico started talking to herself, formulating possible conversation starters.

The two girls watched their friend talk out loud and move around so much that people walking by looked at her like she was some kind of madman. "At least we know she's being serious about her partner." Eli nodded with a smile in agreement.

* * *

It was Sunday morning and Mori-sensei insisted that Maki take at least a day off of practicing. Maki unwillingly agreed after she tried to argue back that she needed to practice as much as she could. But now, lying on her bed, looking up at the ceiling, she was somewhat happy that she complied. It felt nice not to be sitting on the piano bench for hours, fingers pressing down on the same notes over and over. But Maki was bored; Rin and Hanayo already had plans for the weekend and she had no one else to call.

Maki immediately thought of Nico and how she kind of wished she knew of a way to contact the third-year. But then the image of her partner holding hands with another girl made Maki feel so many emotions at the same time, it was confusing and downright annoying. She didn't know why she felt so anxious about it; she only met Nico not too long ago and they haven't really talked either.

"Maki!" she heard her mom call from downstairs. Maki slowly got off her bed and started to walk towards the direction of the voice.

"Ah, Maki," her mother said once she realized she was standing there. "Can you go out and buy some stuff for me in Akiba? I need it for tomorrow and I was going to go myself, but I let the maids off today so I have to clean the house a bit."

"Sure," Maki replied; errands were better than nothing. Maki quickly changed out of her pajamas and headed for the door. Her mom handed her a piece of paper that listed the different items.

"Be careful and let me know if anything comes up," her mother told her as Maki was out the door. The girl waved her hand goodbye and closed the door behind her.

Maki couldn't concentrate, not with her mind filled with so many thoughts. She wished she could run into Nico and interrogate her for holding hands with someone else. But besides that, Maki mostly felt she wanted to talk to the third-year.

 _Why is being in a relationship so complicated?_

Maki was too busy walking with her head down and her mind filled with problems that she didn't notice the girl standing in the middle of the sidewalk until she had bumped into her turned back.

"Oh, excuse me," she apologized, turning around at the stunned Maki. "I shouldn't have been standing in the middle of the walkway."

"Ah, no it's – " Maki stopped mid-sentence and her eyes widened at the sight of the one person she wasn't expecting to ever meet. The purple hair, the turquoise eyes, and her body figure – she was the girl that was with Nico two nights ago. Maki's mouth couldn't close itself as she tried to find the right words to say.

The girl stared at the speechless redhead. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Maki shook her head to snap herself out of her shock before saying, "Y – yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that." Maki tried to pull an apathetic expression so not to cause any curiosity in the purple-haired girl, but with her pulse beating faster with her standing so close to the third-year, Maki had a hard time keeping herself from twirling her hair profusely.

"Have I seen you before?" the purple-haired suddenly asked, stopping Maki's excessive hair twirling.

"Uh – no, you haven't," Maki said, a bit too quickly that the other girl raised an eyebrow. Maki tried to keep herself calm as she looked at her, not wanting to look away or she'd be caught.

"Oh, then have you seen me before?" the girl inquired, pointing to herself and smiling as she asked this. The question was so odd that Maki had to make sure she heard the other girl right.

"I…haven't?" Maki said, still confused that her answer sounded more like a question.

The purple-haired laughed as if she just realized what she said. "Sorry, that was a weird question to ask," she stated while Maki just watched her, not knowing if she should laugh with her too just so she could fill the awkwardness she felt. "Where are you headed to?"

"Akiba," Maki replied nonchalantly, feeling less nervous since the girl was as much of a dork as Nico. "I should get going cause I have a lot of places to go."

"Is that so?" the girl said, humming in thought. "I have an idea. Why don't we go together?"

"Eh?" Amethyst eyes scanned the girl's smiling face, trying to find an aim behind a weird suggestion. She only met Maki a few minutes ago and, even if the girl didn't know, Maki saw the purple-haired holding hands with _her_ partner. "It's fine. I can get there by myself."

"Don't be so shy, Maki-chan."

Maki stepped back at the sound of her name coming out of the girl's mouth. She never mentioned her name, but for some reason, she knew it. It was already weird from the beginning, but now Maki was feeling more scared than anything. If the girl knew Nico, maybe she mentioned Maki, but the purple-haired never saw her before and she doubted Nico had a picture to show anyone. Maki shivered on the inside from how creepy it got.

The girl had been staring at the redhead, waiting for her to say something. "Is that not your name?" she asked, getting the first-years attention.

"It – it is," Maki replied. "But how do – "

Before Maki could finish her question, the girl had pulled Maki by the arm and started half-jogging down the sidewalk towards the station, her grip tightening when Maki tried to wiggle out of the girl's hold. After a few more tries, Maki deemed it almost impossible; the girl was too strong.

The purple-haired remained quiet as they sped down the walkway, passing people going the other way. Maki watched her back, trying to figure out what it was about her that made Nico attracted to her.

 _Wait! Nico isn't attracted to her…right?_

"We're here!" she exclaimed, letting go of Maki's wrist and gesturing towards the entrance. "Let's get going. We're going to be late."

"Late? For what?" Maki asked; from what it said on her watch, stores weren't even open yet.

The girl put a finger against her lips as a smile began to form again. "For the best part."

Maki looked at her in confusion. She wasn't _as_ weird as Nico; she was even _weirder._

She started making her way towards the gateway and Maki followed, not wanting to look suspicious by standing alone on the sideway. They stood at the platform side-by-side, waiting for the train to come by. Maki glanced at the older girl; she looked more serious now than the whole time they were talking, it was almost scary how mature she looked when she wasn't weird-ing Maki out.

"I'm Toujou Nozomi," she suddenly said, her turquoise eyes making contact with violent ones. Maki quickly turned her gaze away, her ears turning red, as the girl giggled at her.

"I've seen you at school," Nozomi admitted. "Nishikino Maki, a first-year who just turned 15 earlier this month, you're a musician who always lands in the top 3 of competitions. You'll be competing in the district competition in a couple of weeks."

Maki turned to face the girl, her eyebrows wrinkling into a frown. "How do you – "

"I'm the Student Council Vice-President," Nozomi answered, cutting Maki off again. "I should know all the students in school. I do need to keep an eye on you guys."

Maki felt a little better that Nozomi wasn't some stalker and that the older girl was just playing with her junior. But then Maki thought about it a little more: _Do they give that much information out on our school profiles?_

"Ah, the train is here," Nozomi pointed out as the train slowly stopped at the platform. When the doors slid open, the two girls stepped on, finding open seats fairly quickly since not that much people were out yet. Nozomi let out a sigh as she sat down, patting the seat beside her to indicate Maki to seat next to her. Maki complied without saying anything since she felt Nozomi would force her either way.

It was silent for a while as the older girl fiddled with her phone. Maki didn't mind it since she liked peace and quiet more than anything. But it made her curious who Nozomi was messaging as a smirk played across her face.

Maki stared at the ceiling, enjoying the silence as much as possible since it would get all noisy again once they reach Akiba.

"You've met your partner already?" Nozomi asked, her eyes staring directly at the bracelet around Maki's left wrist.

"Ah…uh, yes, I did," the redhead replied, turning her wrist discreetly so Nico's name would face down and out of view. "Just recently."

Nozomi hummed. "What is your partner like?"

Maki was taken aback mostly because she was sure the purple-haired girl knew Nico more than Maki did. If she mentioned anything…or more like the only thing Maki knew about the third-year, Nozomi was sure to find out.

"Uh…she's…a nice person," Maki let out, inwardly kicking herself for such a lame description.

"Oh, that's great," Nozomi replied with a smile as if that was the best thing she's ever heard someone say about their life partner. If Maki could put her understanding of this girl on a scale of 1 to 10, it would probably be at negative 50 by now.

"Next stop: Akihabara. Akihabara."

Nozomi had gotten up first and started walking towards the exit, Maki followed out of habit since she's been this girl's shadow the whole time. They quickly made it outside and into the sunlight.

Maki looked around at the growing crowd as stores started opening its doors for tourists and locals. She quickly took out the list her mother had given her and looked at the different places she'd have to go, mentally mapping out the best way to get everything in the shortest amount of time.

"Well, thank you for accompanying me," Nozomi said, breaking Maki's careful calculating.

"Its no big deal," Maki replied, turning to the older girl. _Not like I had a choice_.

"I hope you have a great day," the third-year beamed at the younger girl.

Maki looked at her in confusion. "Um…thanks, but I'm only doing errands," Maki told her, lifting up the list in her hands to show the older girl.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Nozomi replied, still wearing the same smile.

Maki opened her mouth to say something, but was stopped when a familiar voice began shouting at the top of their lungs from behind her, grabbing her attention. Maki was wrong - this was the one person she didn't want to see today: pigtails swinging back and forth as the third-year was running at full speed towards them, looking angry and worried at the same time.

"NO! ZO! MI!" she shouted intensely that people watched the small girl run passed them. Maki watched Nico make her way at them, feeling a little afraid that Nico might crash into her if she didn't start slowing down.

Once Nico had finally caught up to them, she swiftly stepped in front of Maki, her arms held out as if to protect her from the purple-haired girl. She was breathing heavily from running and screaming, but she managed to say in a loud voice, "What are you doing with Maki-chan?! Why are you with her?! Tell me now!"

The demanding tone in Nico's voice made Maki jolt, but Nozomi quietly stood still as if unfazed by the whole thing, smiling at the smaller girl like this situation was a completely normal thing.

"Now, Nicocchi, that's not a nice way to say 'good morning'."

"What did you say to her?" Nico interrogated, ignoring the girl's remark, her red eyes sending daggers at Nozomi.

Nozomi giggled. "What ever do you mean? I didn't say anything," she replied, pulling an innocent face. Nico growled between her clenched teeth.

Maki watched the two third-years as they stood by the entrance of the station, more people piling in and stopping to observe the interaction. Maki wanted to tell Nico that it was okay so she could end the whole thing, but the look in Nico's eyes told her that that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Nozomi, don't try to play stupid," Nico argued, pointing at Nozomi in accusation. "Why were you with her? I demand you tell me now."

"I just ran into her on the train," the purple-haired told her. Maki sighed at the fact that Nozomi had just lied when she was standing right there, but Nico didn't seem to notice, all her focus on Nozomi.

More people had started to gather around the three girls as if this was some kind of show to them. Maki could've sworn she saw some tourists take pictures, but there was no point in telling them off when the two girls were in a heated debate in the middle of Akiba – entertainment central.

"You better have not done anything to her," Nico warned the taller girl. Maki flinched at this when the memory of Nico and Nozomi holding hands came back into her mind.

"Nozomi…" A hand had rested on Nozomi's shoulder, forcing Nozomi to turn her head to find a blonde standing behind her with a look of uneasiness from being in front of a mass of people. "Why are you making Nico upset so early in the morning?"

Nozomi giggled at her before saying, "But I didn't do anything, Elicchi."

The blonde sighed and looked over at Nico, eyes still filled with anger, and Maki, a look of confusion written on her face. A small grin appeared on Eli's lips, surprising Maki at the weird reaction.

"Nozomi, we're going to be late if we don't go now," Eli stated, facing the purple-haired girl. "Leave Nico alone now. She needs a break. And you're attracting too much attention."

"Ah, okay, I understand," Nozomi said, smiling at the blonde. As they turned to leave, Nico quickly shouted, "I'm warning you, Nozomi! Don't think I won't forget this!"

Nozomi turned dramatically to face the two girls and said in a serious tone, "This is not the end, Nicocchi." She pulled out a tarot card and held it between her fingers before disappearing into the crowd. Eli placed her hand on her forehead in annoyance before following the other girl and Maki figured it was probably just to mess with Nico.

The crowd started clapping loudly that Nico jumped as if she had just realized that people had created a crowd around them. Her scowl quickly turned into a smile as she started waving to them; Maki cringed her nose at Nico's quick change of character.

"Nico Nico Nii! I hope you all have a wonderful day!" Nico had made a pose with her hands by the side of her head while her hands formed into some weird sign.

Maki watched the older girl and didn't know what to think. It was weird, seeing two different sides of Nico in a matter of minutes.

"What was that?" Maki asked, referring to her unusual pose, as the crowd had completely disappeared by now.

Nico turned to the first-year, her smile turning back into a frown. "Why were you with her?" she questioned, a finger pointed at Maki; her red eyes locked onto Maki's that the redhead had to look away.

"I – I bumped into her," Maki said. "We were both headed here so it was unavoidable. But why are you questioning me? Shouldn't I be the one asking questions here?"

"Bwagh." Nico jumped back as Maki decided to glare at the third-year. "W – what do you mean? I didn't do anything." Nico crossed her arms, trying her best to be the dominant one.

Maki raised an eyebrow. "I saw you."

"Huh? You saw me?" Nico asked, generally confused by the broad statement. "Saw me where?"

Maki's cheeks started to turn a little red when she realized that she'd have to explain the reason she was questioning the smaller girl. "I – just forget it."

"Huh? I'm not just going to forget it if you brought it up," Nico informed her.

"I – its nothing," Maki said, turning away from the raven-haired girl. "I have to do some stuff so I'll see you later."

Maki had started walking, but didn't make it very far when Nico had grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard enough that they were face to face. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's bothering you," she said in seriousness. Nico's lip twitched with irritation, but Maki could see concern in the older girl's red eyes.

"Okay..."

* * *

Nico and Maki had decided to walk around Akiba, stopping at certain shops when Maki realized she could buy some of her mom's items there. The younger girl had managed – with great difficulty due to her inexperience in these types of situations – to tell her partner the reason she was feeling bothered. Nico listened quietly until Maki had finished her side of the story. After the redhead ended, Nico explained her side: Nozomi's a childhood friend, she holds her hand to annoy Nico since the purple-haired always gets mistaken for Nico's older sister, and that Eli is her life partner.

"So that's why you were bothered?" Nico asked, as they sat down in a quieter part of Akiba, the bags of things sitting in between them. Maki nodded in embarrassment. Nico looked up at the sky in thought before she started to laugh a little.

"It's not funny," Maki hissed.

Nico tried to keep a straight face, but looking at how flustered Maki was, she couldn't help to laugh even more. Maki sighed and decided just to let the older girl finish.

"I'm sorry," Nico said, wiping the tears in her eyes. "I just never thought Maki-chan would be jealous."

Maki's head jolted up at the last word. _Was I…jealous?_

Nico watched the first-year as Maki stared straight ahead, not saying anything as she was still in thought. "Was that not it?" Nico asked, disappointment in her voice.

Maki was in the middle of deciding what to tell the raven-haired girl as random words started slipping out her mouth. "I – you – uh…"

Nico raised an eyebrow before smiling at the stuttering redhead. "I understand; you're not good with these questions. I won't force it out of you." It was silent for a few seconds until Nico groaned as if she was drained. "I can't believe I was so nervous to approach you when here we are, talking easily. Nozomi and Eli were right, I was over-thinking it."

"I...was a bit...nervous," Maki said in a low tone, hoping the older girl wouldn't hear her. But by the look of surprise she had on her face, it was evident she heard it clearly.

"You were nervous?!" Nico shouted, emphasizing the 'you' with exaggeration.

"Yeah, so what?" Maki countered in an effort to hide her embarrassment. "This is new to me, too. I didn't know what to do. A friend even told me to stop looking so emotionless and that I should smile more cause it looks better." Maki put her head in her hands when she realized she just told Nico that she asked for help.

"I guess we're just going to have to learn together," Nico stated fervently.

Maki started biting the inside of her mouth, wanting to say what was on her mind. She watched Nico who was looking up at the sky again, her pigtails blowing in the wind. Nico grinned as if she was enjoying herself and the sight of her partner mesmerized Maki, her thoughts spilling out unconsciously: "Nico-chan...can I hold your hand?"

Nico quickly turned to Maki in surprise; the first-year had her mouth tightly shut in order to stop herself from saying anymore, her eyes as wide as Nico's. They sat there in silence; Maki's heart beating faster at the assumption that Nico rejected her offer. But without saying anything, Nico stood up, grabbing her share of the bags, and stuck her hand out in front of Maki.

Maki stared at the shy Nico. "C'mon, we still have things to get for your mom, right?"

The first-year took her partner's hand and grabbed the rest of the bags on the bench. Nico intertwined their fingers together, making Maki's stomach feel all kinds of things at the same time. Nico took a deep breath and then grinned at the taller girl.

"You ready?"

Maki nodded and Nico took the lead, making sure that her grip was tight enough so they wouldn't let go, but the tighter Nico held Maki's hand, the more sure she was that her hand was getting clammy.

Their steps were awkward at first as both tried to match the other's pace with not much success. Maki gulped at how weird they must have looked to other people, but after a few more clumsy steps, Nico was able to match Maki's stride and their pace became more steady. Their hands were a different story.

"You know, your friend was right," Nico said, looking straight ahead as they walked. "You do look better when you smile."

Nico looked at the first-year with a grin as Maki's face started turning red. "What's with that? You can't just say that out in the open," Maki replied, pinching both of Nico's cheeks, the third-year's face reacting to the pain.

"You planned this all out, didn't you?" Eli asked her partner, both her and Nozomi watching from a window not too far away.

"What ever do you mean, Elicchi? I don't know anything," Nozomi quickly replied with an angelic grin on her face, making Eli shake her head in disbelief.

"You knew Maki was there two nights ago," Eli said, piecing together all the facts that led them to this moment. "And you told Nico that some idol was secretly performing at the station; that's when she saw you and Maki together."

"Is that how it went?" the fortuneteller asked sarcastically.

"Sometimes, Nozomi, you're real scary," the blonde informed her.

Nozomi giggled at the compliment. "But that's why you love me." Eli sighed, but nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure Nicocchi will be thanking me later," she said with a smile, watching Nico laugh as Maki continued to pinch her cheeks.


	6. Chapter 5: The Competition

**So I had most of this written last week and used my breaks to write little by little. As you can see, I ended up finishing it.**

 **Thank you for wishing me luck. I'll probably see you guys after my finals! Enjoy!**

* * *

Maki had only a few days left till the district competition and she was getting more anxious with each passing day. She was finally 15 and that meant she had a chance at competing in regionals and – hopefully – nationals; but that could only happen if she placed at least 2nd in the upcoming event.

Although Maki always placed in the top 3 in passed competitions, they meant nothing when she'd be trying to beat out young musicians who were just as serious as her about getting to the regionals. And since she just turned of the minimum age, she'd be going against people with experience. So, Maki decided to spend all her free time practicing as much as she could and thankfully Nico understood this.

"Ugh! Maki-chan!"

Or at least, Maki thought she did.

"Maki-chan!" Aoi whined as she came into the studio, her face filled with frustration. She glared at the redhead, who sat on the piano bench, her fingers hovering over the last keys she pressed before Aoi had interrupted her.

Maki stared at the exasperated college student, waiting for her to explain why she came in so suddenly. Aoi raised her hand, clutching Maki's phone. "Nico won't shut up!" she sneered. "She keeps messaging you and it's driving me crazy."

Maki sighed as Aoi handed the phone over. The first-year opened it up and flinched when she saw she had over 30 messages, all from Nico. "Nico-chan…" she groaned with disbelief.

"I thought you told her that you're practicing for the competition," Aoi said, sitting next to her junior.

"Well…I told her that I was practicing," Maki replied, stiffening up when Aoi narrowed her eyes.

"Maki-chan," Aoi started, staring at the first-year. "Why didn't you tell Nico that you'd be competing in the district competition?"

The redhead opened her mouth to defend herself, but had nothing to say. Aoi kept her eyes locked on to the hesitant high schooler, forcing Maki to just tell her the truth: "I don't want her to know."

"What? Why?" Aoi asked, a little shocked.

Maki didn't say anything, but placed her fingers back onto the keyboard. Her slender fingers danced across the black and white keys effortlessly; Maki knew the song like the back of her, mostly because she wrote it with the help of Mori-sensei. It was one of her first songs she had writtem and she played it all the time to calm herself down.

Aoi watched with awe, the setting sun peering through the curtains and onto Maki's hands as if it was putting an emphasis on the younger girl's talent.

Maki had pressed the last key to the song and placed her hands on her lap, still looking down at the keyboard. "What do you think?"

"I think that was amazing," Aoi replied honestly, looking at the redhead with wonder.

Maki grinned, but quickly said, "I don't think I'm there yet. Nico-chan got so excited when I told her that I've won in past competitions; she's been bugging me to play for her. But whenever I think of playing in front of her, I get so nervous. I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid," Aoi grinned.

"Then why can't I play for her?" Maki asked desperately.

"It's because Nico actually means something to you."

Maki turned to the older girl with a bashful expression. "I – I guess you can say that," she said, her cheeks turning red as the words came out.

Maki's phone buzzed again as it sat on top of the piano, both girls turning to it as Maki counted how many times it rang; it stopped at 4.

Aoi chuckled. "And from the looks of it, you two are getting along nicely."

"Yeah, we have," Maki replied with a smile, but then quickly frowned when her phone buzzed, Aoi laughing at the first-year's exhausted expression.

"You should just answer them already," Aoi suggested. "She seems pretty persistent."

"You have no idea."

Maki exhaled in disbelief. She slowly closed the fallboard and put her folder into her school bag before opening her messages. All the messages from Nico started out as random questions (a game they've been playing to get to know each other better) and then changed to Nico simply trying to get Maki's attention by sending as many messages as she could; the third-year was practically talking to herself.

Maki closed her phone; not realizing Aoi was still watching her. "You're not going to answer them?" she asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I'll reply to her when I get home," Maki stated, placing her phone in the pocket of her blazer. "She can wait for a little longer."

The redhead slung the bag over her shoulder and walked out of the studio, Aoi behind her. Mori-sensei had left after their practice session and Maki decided to stay as long as she could. But with the night approaching, she could just practice at the studio in her house; it wasn't as relaxing, but it was Maki's second best option.

"So, I'm guessing you can't grab a snack with me," Aoi assumed as they passed through the double doors, both heading for the elevator.

Maki shook her head. "The competition is on Saturday; that gives me only four more days to prepare. And it's almost dinner."

"When has that ever stopped us?" the older girl laughed.

They both stepped onto the elevator as Maki's phone buzzed again. Aoi turned to look at Maki's vibrating pocket, but the younger girl didn't react to the constant ringing, patiently waiting for the doors to open.

"You're really not going to reply?" Aoi asked, a little annoyed by the constant incoming messages.

"I already told you," Maki said. "Not until I get home." Aoi just shook her head as they made their way out of the building and onto the busy street.

"Maki-chan!" an outraged voice shouted from Maki's right, making the redhead jump and stopping her in her tracks. The first-year turned to find red eyes glaring at her, hands on her hips, and eyebrows scrunched in vexation. "Why haven't you replied back?"

Maki opened her mouth, but the only thing that came out was "Nico-chan?"

Nico's eyes narrowed at the flustered first-year, waiting for her to answer the question, but the sudden appearance caught Maki off guard that it was hard to formulate a sentence.

"So not until you get home?" Aoi mocked under her breath that Maki's eye twitched, but she didn't dare break her gaze from the glaring third-year.

"It's nice to meet you, Yazawa Nico." Aoi suddenly said, approaching Nico whose expression changed into surprise. "My name is Shizuka Aoi; I'm a third-year in college. I work the front desk of Mori Music Tutorial. Maki-chan has told me a lot about you."

"Huh? She has?" Nico asked, a little shocked that her aloof partner actually talks to someone about her.

"I – I have not," Maki retorted.

"Oh, of course not," Aoi said sneeringly, turning to Maki with a smirk. "Its not like I know that Nico lives in Akiba or that she has three siblings or that she loves to sing weird pop songs – "

"Stop! Stop! You made your point!" Maki said in a panic, putting her hands over Aoi's mouth as she stepped in between the two girls.

"Maki-chan," Nico said with irritation in her voice. The first-year turned her head to look at Nico, her hands still over Aoi's mouth. "You told me practice ended an hour ago. What have you been doing?"

"I decided to stay back," Maki replied quickly.

Nico sighed. "I thought I said not to overwork yourself," she reminded as she crossed her arms. "You're going to get sick like that."

"I – I'm fine," Maki told her. "And who are you to tell me what to do?" Maki let go of Aoi to face the third-year fully.

Nico looked taken aback, but then quickly argued, "I believe I'm your partner. Did you forget that?"

"How can I forget when you're texting me every minute?" Maki said, amethyst eyes glaring into red ones.

"Well, if you just replied back, I wouldn't be sending so much," Nico bickered, her face a foot away from Maki's. "Do you know how worried I was?"

Maki's scowl quickly disappeared as she took a step back in surprise. "Huh? You – you were worried?"

"Of – of course, I was," Nico replied softly, her face turning a little red as she crossed her arms to try to hide her embarrassment. "Are you an idiot? What kind of partner wouldn't be worried?"

Aoi shook her head and tried her best not to laugh at the moron couple. "Young love," she said to herself. "So naïve and innocent."

The college student tapped Maki on the shoulder, making her jump. "Why don't you go with Nico? I know you want to practice, but I think you deserve to take a little break. Plus she came all the way here to see you."

"Ah…but…"

"Just go," Aoi quietly hissed so Nico wouldn't hear them. Before Maki could reject the idea, Aoi pushed her towards the third-year and said, "Nico-san, please take good care of Maki-chan." And with that, Aoi quickly walked away, leaving Maki dumbfounded.

"I can see why you say that she's very forceful," Nico said, watching the figure of Aoi blend into the crowd.

 _Why now?_

Maki sighed, making Nico turn to her with a look of disappointment. "Do you not want to be here?"

"Ah! No, no, that's not it," Maki assured her. "It's just I was planning to practice later tonight."

"Huh?" Nico put her hands on her hips as she glowered at the taller girl. "Did you not listen to me just a moment ago? You're going to overwork yourself."

"I think I'll be fine," Maki replied sternly.

Nico sighed, not wanting to bicker again. "Can you at least take some time off once in a while?" she asked, a tone of sadness in her voice that a wave of guilt washed over Maki. With the first-year so invested in practicing, she's made no time for her partner since the Sunday they first started talking.

"I…I'm not busy now," Maki replied, grinning when the third-year smiled at her. "But not for too long. It's a school night."

"Of course, I'm not an irresponsible upperclassman," Nico proudly stated as she pounded a fist to her chest.

Maki frowned. "I'll think about that," she said, walking passed the smaller girl, as Nico stood frozen in shock at Maki's comeback. "Are you coming or not?"

"Wait for me! You're walking too fast."

"You're just walking too slow," Maki commented with a smirk.

Nico rushed to catch up to the first-year and quickly took her hand, Maki flinching at the unexpected contact. The older girl just laughed, interlacing their fingers as they walked down the sidewalk, passing the crowd together.

* * *

Maki stared at the music sheet in front of her, her hands resting on the keyboard. She's been practicing since she got home, but she felt nowhere near ready. With only two more days left, Maki didn't feel like sleeping – or more like she couldn't.

She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall: it was two in the morning – she technically only had one more day. She didn't feel tired despite waking up early to get to school. Maki sighed as she stood up for a little break, her fingers cramping from the constant key pressing.

Her phone, sitting on the table that sat in the other side of the studio, suddenly buzzed and Maki looked as it glowed. She walked over to it, opening it to see that Nico was still awake as well.

 _'You better not be awake.'_

Maki grinned as she typed her reply: _'And what if I am?'_

Nico wasted no time texting her back, her phone buzzing before Maki could put it back down.

 _'Maki-chan, this is the third night in a row.'_

 _'Don't worry about it. I'll talk to you later.'_

 _'You better be saying that because you're going to sleep.'_ Maki could feel Nico glaring at her through the phone.

 _'Soon.'_

Maki placed the phone on the table and quickly walked back to the piano. She sat on the bench and was about to start playing, but was stopped when her phone alerted her about an incoming call.

The redhead slowly trekked back as Nico's name took over the front of her phone. She pressed the confirm button and placed it next to her ear.

"Go to sleep!" Nico shouted through the phone before Maki could say anything, scaring the first-year since it was so quiet in the studio. She could hear the tiredness in the third-year's voice despite the demanding attitude.

"I said soon," Maki replied callously.

Nico sighed. "Why don't you just listen to me?"

"I am listening," Maki pointed out. "I'm just deciding not to follow." Maki laid her body out on the small sofa, her red hair spraying around her.

"That means you're not listening," Nico tiredly replied. "Why are you so insistent on staying up so late?"

"Why are you so persistent on staying up with me?" Maki said, trying to avoid having to tell the older girl about her competition in a few days.

Maki smiled at Nico's groan of annoyance as she heard the girl moving around in her room. "What are you doing?" she asked as she heard a few things opening and closing and the sound of Nico's footsteps hitting the floor.

"I'm putting my homework away before I forget again," Nico replied as she jumped on her bed – or at least that's what it sounded like to Maki.

"Irresponsible."

"Agh! Look who's talking," Nico huffed which was then followed by a quiet yawn. "Maki-chan, just go to sleep already."

Maki didn't say anything as she stared at the ceiling, realizing after a few seconds that Nico hadn't said anything either. Maki pressed her phone closer to her ear as if it was going to help her hear what was going on on Nico's side. "Nico-chan?"

The third-year didn't reply, but Maki listened closely to the sound of Nico's slow breathing. The redhead stayed as quiet as she could, listening to her partner's sleepy breaths hitting against her phone. She grinned as she closed her eyes, darkness taking over as she easily fell asleep next to the sound of Nico.

* * *

"Nicocchi," Nozomi called, poking Nico's cheek, as the younger girl was half asleep on her desk. "Wake up already."

Nico groaned in bitterness as her eyes opened, slowly scanning Nozomi's body till she reached the fortuneteller's face. "What?" she whined, her head still lying on top her desk.

"I just wanted to tell you that you're the only one for me."

"Save it," Nico replied angrily.

Nozomi sarcastically gasped. "That hurt, Nicocchi. Don't you know you shouldn't reject someone so harshly when they confess their feelings?"

Nico rolled her eyes and lifted her head, wiping the drool that had slid down her face. "Don't you know not to play with other people's feelings?" the shorter girl chided.

The purple-haired girl giggled in response. "Why are you so tired? The day hasn't even started."

Nico sighed as she fixed her pigtails. "Well, Maki-chan has been staying up late lately so I've been staying up with her to make sure she doesn't strain herself. She's so insistent on practicing these past few days and I can't do much over the phone except annoy her till she finally gives in."

Nozomi hummed as she sat on her seat. "I see. I'm sure she's getting ready for the competition tomorrow."

"Competition?" Nico repeated, facing the purple-haired girl in confusion. "What competition?"

"Huh? Did she not tell you?" the older girl asked; Nico shook her head. "Well, it's the district competition. Young musicians between the ages of 15 and 18 compete in order to go to regionals and compete against other musicians who are representing their district; all of them hoping to go nationals. Maki-chan is finally old enough to compete, so I guess that's why she's been practicing excessively."

Nico kept staring at her childhood friend, blinking in confusion as she tried to process the information. Nozomi watched the raven-haired girl's grave expression.

"I'm sure there was a reason she didn't say anything," Nozomi quickly said to console her friend. "Maybe she just forgot to tell you since she's been so busy – "

"Where is it being held?" Nico interrupted.

"Eh…I think it'll be held in Minato this year," Nozomi answered, confusion written on her face at Nico's unusual reaction.

Nico quickly got up from her seat – pushing her chair so hastily that it fell to the ground but she didn't bother to pick it up – said "thank you", and started half-jogging towards the door.

"Wait, Nicocchi! Class is going to start!" the purple-haired girl reminded her, but Nico was out the classroom, her footsteps growing distant. Nozomi smiled to herself as she flipped her tarot card in her hand a few times.

* * *

"Good luck, Maki-chan," Hanayo smiled as Rin bounced on her toes in excitement next to her.

"T – thanks," Maki stuttered, twirling a strand of her crimson hair.

Rin and Hanayo decided – despite Maki's constant rejection – to support her at the district competition. They were standing outside the room where all the musicians will be waiting for their turn. Maki had already passed a few familiar faces she's seen on TV that it made her nervous just thinking of being in a room with all of them.

"I'm so excited, Maki-chan," Rin said. "You're going to win and we'll be there to celebrate, nya." Maki stiffened.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo said, noticing Maki's tenseness, "I don't think that's the motivation Maki-chan needs right now."

Rin chuckled nervously. "Right, sorry."

Maki exhaled to calm her nerves and checked her phone. It was the first time since that Sunday that Nico hasn't texted her and it was making Maki more uneasy as she kept looking at it, hoping some sort of text would come in. She thought about messaging her first, but then Nico might take it that she was being assertive and she didn't want that.

"You okay, Maki-chan?" Hanayo asked as Maki closed her phone, disappointed.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about," she replied as she looked around the hall, hoping she'd see Nico, but it was impossible. The redhead (sort of) regretted not telling her partner about it.

"Ah, Maki," her mother said as she approached the three first-years. "You look very pretty today." Maki had decided to wear one of her simple black dresses with flats and Hanayo had neatly tied her red hair together and made it hang off her left shoulder, making the first-year look more mature.

"Thanks, Mama," Maki grinned. She was glad that her mom came to support her despite her busy schedule. Sadly, her father had to take care of the absence of his partner.

"It's almost time to let you go so we should find our seats," her mother said, smiling at her daughter. "So do your best out there and play like you always do. You'll do great."

Her mother started walking towards the auditorium entrance, Rin and Hanayo right behind her. Maki sighed as they walked further away and opened the door to the waiting room. There wasn't much people there yet since they still had time; Maki decided to claim a chair as her own before more competitors came in.

Maki quickly sat down and looked at her phone again: nothing. Her heart tightened a little as she opened her inbox, hoping she may have missed it, but her last message was from Aoi, wishing her luck. The redhead stared at her phone as if that would signal Nico to message her, quickly getting upset as she closed her phone shut, but ended up slightly grinning when she read Nico's name shining on her bracelet.

"Nishikino-san."

Maki looked up to find a familiar face.

"Yuki Ryuu," Maki deadpanned.

"It's wonderful to see you too," he mocked; Maki jolted as he unexpectedly sat down next to her. "I haven't seen you since the last time we competed."

Maki only hummed in reply, hoping he'd leave when he noticed that she didn't want to have a conversation with him.

Maki and Ryuu have been competing against each other since they could remember, both always landing in the top 3. Ryuu had already one year of experience in the district competition since he was a year older, placing second, only to not place at regionals. Maki wasn't going to let him faze her, mostly because he won over Maki the last time they competed and he rubbed it in her face.

"So how is high school going for you?" he asked, sounding almost interested.

"Fine."

"Are classes for you going well?"

"Yeah."

Ryuu's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "Do you not want to talk to me?"

"How much more obvious do I have to make it?" Maki replied bitterly, not turning to look at him.

Ryuu huffed as he crossed his arms and looked down at her hands. His eyes widened when he saw that Maki was wearing a silver bracelet with a name etched into it.

"You've met your partner already?" he asked, looking up as Maki's apathetic face turned to self-consciousness.

"Uh…y – yeah," Maki replied, her hand quickly covering the bracelet. "Just recently."

"Oh…I see," was all he said that it surprised Maki at how troubled he sounded. But before she could say something, the doors had opened with an assistant calling the first competitor to get ready, blowing all of Maki's previous thoughts out the window.

Maki opened her phone to see that nothing had come in. She bit her lip as she went to Nico's last message from last night.

 _Nico-chan, where are you?_

* * *

Maki was the fifteenth out of twenty-five competitors and the girl before her had already left which meant they'd be calling Maki soon. Nico still hasn't contacted her and Maki didn't know what to worry about more. She checked her phone one last time and quickly put it away when there were no notifications. An assistant had called for her and she quietly walked towards the door.

"Good luck," Ryuu said, waving his hand as she passed him. She waved without thinking, silently cursing herself as she walked out the door.

The walk down the hall towards the back of the stage felt like the longest trek Maki ever had to go through. It was empty since everyone was either in the waiting room or watching in the auditorium. It was quiet except for their shoes hitting the floor.

While usually, the silence relaxed Maki, it just made her even more nervous. The redhead exhaled to calm herself down, but the closer they got to the entrance, the harder it was for her. Her fingers started to move in the motions of her piano playing as she imagined herself sitting in front of the instrument and pressing the keys.

"You nervous?" the woman assistant asked, breaking Maki's imagination.

"Just a little," Maki answered, balling her hands into fists to stop her imagine piano playing.

The woman giggled and said, "I'm sure you'll do great. You've already made it this far. Take a deep breath and block everything else out. And most importantly, just have fun."

 _If only it was that easy._

Maki nodded as she opened the door to the backstage and gestured for Maki to go in. The redhead entered to be greeted by another assistant; he told her what to do and what to expect as he walked Maki towards the entrance of the stage. The first-year was only half listening when she heard loud clapping, indicating that the performer before her had already finished her piece. Maki took a deep breath as she stood at the side of the stage, waiting for the announcer to call her name.

The first-year quickly peeked as much as she could at the audience, catching a glimpse of her mom with Rin and Hanayo, in front of them was Mori-sensei, his wife, and Aoi with her partner. Maki smiled at the fact that she had supporters there for her, but frowned when she couldn't find the one person she wanted to see. But why would she be there – Maki didn't mention it to her.

She sighed, but then quickly gathered her composure when she heard her name. Maki stepped out onto the stage, feeling the warmth of the lights on her. Although it was harder to see passed the stage with the bright lights in front of her, Maki could tell that it was a pretty big auditorium with every seat occupied. The clapping died down as Maki bowed before taking her seat in front of the black grand piano in the middle of the stage.

The redhead took a deep breath and glanced at her music sheet that was neatly sitting in front of her. She placed her fingers on the keyboard, making it lingering there before she pressed down on the first key.

And just like that, Maki felt all the jitters and worry disappear from her body as her fingers played with ease, all her focus on doing the thing she loved the most. She felt a sense of relaxation just like she always did when she played. Everything around her vanished: the audience, the judges, the lights; it was just her and the music.

The song she decided to play was a piece she wrote right before high school and what she expected in the next three years. Mori-sensei said it was probably one of her best pieces and she disagreed so many times. But after a ton of drafts and late-nights, Maki finished it with a sense of accomplishment. Wanting to have that feeling again, Maki wanted to play it in hopes the judges would catch it as well.

Maki pushed down on the last note as she ended her piece, the loud clapping bringing her back to the reality of the auditorium. She exhaled before slowly standing up from her seat. She looked out into the crowd and saw her mom smiling widely, Hanayo wiping tears from her eyes, Rin clapping wildly and bouncing on her feet, Aoi with a huge grin on her face, and Mori-sensei and his wife clapping along with the crowd.

But before Maki could bow, she heard a voice bellowing from somewhere in the back, trying to shout over the clapping, grabbing the attention of most of the other spectators at the bizarre action.

"Maki-chan! You go, Maki-chan!"

Maki squinted her eyes to see passed the blinding lights that were looking down on her, but as soon as she found the source, her heart had begun to flutter.

In the front row of the second floor sat Nico in between Eli – who had her face hidden behind her hand – and Nozomi – who was simply giggling at her energetic friend.

"Yeah, Maki-chan! Woo! Maki-chan!"

Maki blushed as she watched Nico wave her arms above her head in exaggeration in order to grab Maki's attention and shouting as loud as she could. She was leaning over the railing, Nozomi holding on to the smaller girl's shirt so she wouldn't fall like she was a little kid who didn't know any better.

Maki bowed and made her way off the stage so the next performer could go on. She heard some people acknowledge her with a "good job" but the butterflies in her stomach drowned out everything around her.

The same woman assistant started leading Maki back to the waiting room as she said with a grin, "You have some really lively supporters."

"Yeah, I do," the redhead replied with a smile, her heart still beating rapidly that she clutched her chest. It was a new feeling for Maki, but she was sure it wouldn't be the last time she'd feel it especially with a certain third-year by her side.


	7. Chapter 6: Yazawa Trio

**試験を 終わりました！ (I finished my exams!)**

 **First I want to say thank you all for your support. There's still way more to come so hope you all can stick around. And second, as some of you may know, I have a tumblr (and if you didn't know, now you do), but I have decided to make a sideblog to put up any LL one-shots since I have some ideas running in my head. And of course, any of your ideas are welcome too. I'll keep you updated on that if you're interested. I should have that up and running, hopefully, by the next update or two.**

 **But other than that, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Onee-sama, wake up!"

"Onee-chan! It's the morning!"

Nico groaned, pulling the covers over her head as if it was going to put the shouting on mute, as her two younger sisters violently shook her. It was too early on a Saturday morning to be woken up so abusively. After a minute or two more of whining for Nico to get out of bed, the third-year threw the blanket off of her and let out a long sigh before sitting up.

"Why are you so energetic this morning?" she asked drowsily as she put herself on the edge of the bed, taking her time to get up.

"Because we're going out today," Cocoa smiled, following her older sisters towards the door. Nico stretched and yawned, but then froze in the middle of it when the youngest sister continued: "And you're taking us out."

Nico stayed in her awkward position, her two sisters staring at her back in confusion. "Onee-sama?"

"I thought Mama was taking you," Nico said, hoping she heard Cocoa wrong.

"Mama had to go to work today," Cocoro informed her as Nico kept her back facing them. "She said you'd be taking us."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure you're the only Nico we call big sister," answered Cocoro, still confused.

Nico sighed before turning to the two girls who perked up when Nico looked from one to the other. "Why don't you two get ready? I'll get breakfast started and we'll leave right after."

They both cheered and ran out of Nico's room as fast as they could. Nico slowly followed after them and entered the kitchen where Cotaro sat on the floor with one of his toys.

"Out," was all he said as Nico passed over him.

"Yes, I know, after breakfast," Nico told him as she opened the fridge to see what she could make only to find the fridge was completely empty except for the half-carton of milk and leftovers her mom brought home last night.

The third-year grunted out of frustration as she closed the fridge slowly and then opened it again as if something would magically appear.

"Onee-sama, we're ready!" Cocoro happily shouted as both her and Cocoa entered the kitchen. Nico closed the fridge door and turned to her siblings. "What's wrong, Onee-sama?"

"I guess we have to go out for food," she told them as Cotaro made his way to his oldest sister, indicating to help him get ready.

Nico walked Cotaro to her siblings' shared bedroom and started to take out the little boy's clothes from his drawer as Cotaro stood in the middle of the room, playing with his small toy in hand. Nico was trying her best to take off her little brother's shirt as he refused to let go of the small toy.

"Co…ta…ro," Nico grumbled as she struggled with what should have been an easy task. "It'll only take a second. Let go of the toy."

But he didn't budge, holding onto the small object with his dear life. "You're the one who wanted to change," Nico reminded, trying her best to pull his shirt off without hurting him.

"Onee-chan!"

The sudden loudness scared the third-year, her careful pulling turning into a quick jerk that sent Cotaro's toy flying out of his hand and breaking as it hit the hard floor with a crash. Nico stared at the broken mess, Cotaro's pajama shirt in hand while Cocoa gave an apologetic look.

"Cotaro," Nico started, but it was too late. The youngest already had tears in his eyes as he stared in horror at his demolished toy. Nico sighed as she quickly wiped the tears that ran down his face; she was glad Cotaro was never one to cry loudly.

She turned to Cocoa who still stood at the entrance. "What is it, Cocoa?"

"Ah," she said, remembering why she called her sister in the first place. "Your phone was ringing. Cocoro answered it though; I just wanted to let you know."

"Huh? Who was it?" Nico asked as she slowly slid Cotaro's clean shirt on, his tears slowly drying.

"Um…" Cocoa stopped to think in order to recall the name that was on the caller id. "Oh! It said someone named Nishikino Maki."

"Eh?!" In shock, Nico had accidentally pushed Cotaro down. The oldest quickly turned to her fallen brother who was in tears again from the impact. She scooped him up in her arms and did her best to wipe his tears, but he was too mad at her to be cooperative.

Nico sighed as Cotaro kept trying to squirm out of her hands. As soon as she released him, he ran out into the kitchen to get away from his older sister. The third-year groaned as she watched Cotaro run off and then glanced at the broken toy that still laid on the floor in pieces.

 _This is all Maki's fault._

* * *

 _"Onee-sama is busy right now."_

 _"Huh? What is she doing?"_

 _"She's taking care of our little brother."_

 _"Oh. Okay, well just – "_

 _"Ah! I think something just broke."_

 _"What?"_

 _"I'll let Onee-sama know you called!"_

 _"No, wait – "_

Maki held her phone, completely flabbergasted by the conversation she just had. The dial tone played in her ear as Nico's younger sister hung up before Maki could tell her not to tell her partner she called. She didn't want the teasing third-year to mock her that she was being assertive.

The redhead ended the call and stared at her bedroom ceiling. She's been partners with Nico for a little over a month and half now, but being around the raven-haired girl still made Maki nervous that it was hard for her to open up, no matter how much she wished she could just say what she wanted like her partner did – maybe just not as aggressively.

Maki rolled off of her bed and walked over to her desk, stopping when the only picture that sat on the table caught her eye.

Nico insisted – or technically demanded – that they take a picture after Maki's district competition. She had grabbed Maki before she could walk away and they had started bickering before Nico whined, "I just want a picture with my winner." Maki had agreed, mostly because she was too flustered to reject the third-year again.

Nico had that same big grin on her face, her arm over Maki's shoulder so as to make sure the first-year didn't run away. She had pulled Maki in as close as she could get that their cheeks were slightly touching. Compared to her lively partner, Maki had a soft, genuine smile playing on her face, her first place trophy in her hand. She had to admit; Nico was good at taking pictures.

Maki didn't really display pictures, but Nico had printed out their first picture together and framed it for the redhead knowing her partner wouldn't do it. Maki had told her that she'd just end up stuffing it somewhere she'd forget, but now that the first-year stared at it, she was glad her pushy partner gave it to her.

Her thoughts broke when she remembered that she had to finish her next piece for regionals that was to take place in the summer. Maki looked at the clock, telling her it was ten; she changed out of her pajamas before she started heading towards her bedroom door.

But before she could walk out, her phone started to ring; Maki quickly turned back around to grab it off her nightstand, half hoping it was from Nico and the other half hoping it wasn't. She answered without looking at the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Maki-chan!" It was Aoi. Maki sighed knowing she wasn't going to like how this conversation might end.

"Are you busy today?" the older girl asked with a tone of happiness in her voice.

"Well, actually - "

"Okay, so where do you want to eat for lunch?"

Maki stayed silent, irritated that Aoi had cut her off. She was hoping that if she remained quiet long enough, Aoi would hang up thinking there was something wrong with the connection and Maki would be able to run down into the studio before she called again.

"Maki-chan, I can hear you breathing angrily."

The redhead sighed before saying, "I'm busy today."

"You're no fun," Aoi whined; sometimes Maki wondered if this girl was really a college student. "It's Saturday. Just go out with me for a little while."

"I have stuff to do," Maki told her firmly.

"Please, Maki-chan," the college girl pleaded. "I need to get out and you need to get out. So why don't we go together?"

The redhead pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine..."

Aoi cheered on the other side of the line before saying, "Okay, we'll meet in Akiba around lunchtime. Don't be late!" Without waiting for Maki to answer, she hung up. The first-year quickly put down the phone and walked of the room before any more distractions arose.

She made her way down the steps and walked through the hall, passing two of the maids who bowed to her. Maki gestured in acknowledgement before she disappeared behind the studio door.

The first-year made her way towards the grand piano and sat down, looking at her unfinished score that was full of eraser stains and smudges. It was something she had started writing last month, but she had no idea how to continue it. Maki didn't even like how it sounded, but she didn't know what was missing or how to fix it. She stared at it, hoping some idea would pop up, but nothing was coming to mind.

Maki groaned in dismay as she started to edit the messy music sheet. Not realizing right above her, her phone was ringing with Nico's name blinking on the front screen.

* * *

 _Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up. Pick up._

"Onee-chan, do you need the bathroom?"

Nico stopped her unconscious fidgeting and turned to her little siblings who had been watching her with great curiosity. It was the sixth time Nico has tried to call Maki back and she hasn't answered any of them. The thought that Maki called first made Nico a little panicky since her partner _never_ initiated anything. But she couldn't put all her attention on the non-responsive first-year when she had three younger ones to look after.

"Ah, no," Nico replied with a smile. "I was just trying to get ahold of someone."

"Oh! Is it that Nishikino Maki person?" Cocoro asked, her hand raised in the air as if she was in a classroom answering a question. Nico flinched at the mention of Maki.

"Is she your partner, Onee-chan?" Cocoa asked, holding her little brother's hand as he stared at Nico with interest too.

Nico chuckled nervously, trying to drop the subject. She knew if she said anything, they'd pester her to meet Maki and Nico wasn't ready for her reserved partner to meet the three most vibrant rascals yet.

"Is she, Onee-sama?" Cocoro questioned. "You haven't told us anything about your partner, but you've been wearing that bracelet for a while now."

"I – Is that so? I'm sure I've said something about her," Nico said, trying to keep a smile on her face.

"Why won't you tell us?" Cocoa pouted.

"Yeah, Onee-sama," Cocoro contributed. "It's not fair. Do you not want us to meet her?"

"Agh…t – that's not it," Nico assured them, but their faces told her that not one of them believed her.

"Then why?" the youngest sister asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why won't you make us meet her, Onee-sama?" Cocoro added, also crossing her arms.

"Meanie," Cotaro chimed in, following his two older sisters' poses.

Nico looked at the three of them, all their arms crossed in disappointment and their eyes fixed on their eldest sibling as she struggled to find the right words to say. But it was no use, Nico knew it had to happen sooner or later; she couldn't keep avoiding it.

"I'll…" Nico started, still trying to formulate a sentence in order to reject the idea, but then gave in when the three of them stuck out their bottom lip in a pout, "…set up a day."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, the three of them jumped in excitement. Nico couldn't help but smile at how enthusiastic her siblings were to meet her partner, but the third-year always knew they weren't the problem.

Nico now had to think of a way for Maki to agree. And that wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

"So, what are you going to do today?" Aoi asked the first-year as they walked out the restaurant.

"I still need to finish my piece for regionals," Maki answered. "I've been stuck for a week now and you brought me out here."

Aoi groaned as if she was bored. "You're still on that? You have like two months to finish that thing."

Maki sighed. "I need to start now or I won't be ready."

"Why don't you hang out with Nico today, I'm sure she can help you," Aoi proposed, the two of them walking down the sidewalk.

"And what if she doesn't?" Maki asked with annoyance.

"Then at least you had a good day," Aoi smiled as Maki rolled her eyes. "Maki-chan, you need to give yourself a break once in a while. You think she won't help you, but how do you know if you don't just go with it? You never know what might influence you until you look at the world without that glaring look of yours."

Maki shot Aoi a look at the insult but then sighed, knowing her senior was right and by the way she smiled at the first-year, Aoi knew it too. "Am I right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Maki replied, wanting to move on to another topic.

"Aw, you're such a sore loser," Aoi teased, making Maki glare at her. "So, what do you say?"

"Well, she sounded busy earlier," Maki informed her as they stopped in front of the train station. "Maybe I'll just walk around Akiba to find some inspiration elsewhere."

"As long as you're not locking yourself up in a studio," Aoi said. "Well, I'll see you on Monday then. Have fun exploring."

Aoi made her way into the train station, leaving the redhead to stand on the sidewalk alone who watched the older girl disappear into the crowd before walking down the sidewalk to wherever it may lead her.

Maki never really looked around Akiba, mostly because she wanted to get out of the noisy city as fast as she could. But today, she decided to take Aoi's advice and find something that could potentially inspire her since she was somewhat desperate at this point.

Maki had made a turn, looking at the tall buildings and listening to the loud monitors that constantly played advertisements for the newest game or the most popular show. The redhead sighed – she wouldn't find any revelation in that. She needed something that was genuine, but it was hard for the first-year who practically lived by herself and distanced herself from others.

The only thing she could think that had some sense of honesty was –

"Onee-chan! You're so slow!"

A little girl with dark brown hair had ran right into Maki, alarming the first-year, particularly because she didn't know how to handle little kids, being the only child.

"Uh – ah…a – are you okay?" Maki stuttered, not knowing if she should help the small girl up or not.

The little girl stared up at Maki, not replying; Maki stared back, but only because she looked like someone she knew especially the girl's shining red eyes.

Before Maki could ask again if she was okay, two other kids had caught up to the fallen girl, all of them having the same red eyes, but one of them being taller and the other probably being the youngest of the trio.

"Cocoa, what are you doing?" the tallest asked as the girl named Cocoa kept her eyes on Maki.

"Cocoro…doesn't she look like…" Cocoa trailed off as she pointed at Maki, forcing Cocoro and the smaller boy to turn their attention to the now flustered first-year.

Maki didn't know what to say or do; she couldn't tell them to back off since they were little kids, but she was getting nervous and annoyed that they were just staring at her like she was some kind of art piece. As a result, she ended up standing frozen in her place, taking glances at all three of them and realizing they _all_ looked like someone familiar; it was starting to freak her out.

As Maki opened her mouth to say something, someone had started to call after them.

"Cocoro, Cocoa, what did I tell you about running off like that?"

And now it all made sense.

Nico tiredly made her way to the trio who turned to watch her. As Nico got closer to them, she abruptly stopped when she saw who was standing with her siblings, her face in utter shock.

"Bwagh! Ma – Maki-chan?" the third-year let out, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open like she was trying to say more words.

"Why are – what are you doing here?" Nico finally asked after she regained her composure, making her way to the four of them. Cocoa turned to the redhead and whispered to the other two, "I knew it."

"I was here with Aoi, but she left," Maki answered nonchalantly, less nervous now that Nico was there.

"Oh, I see," Nico replied before looking at the three younger kids with a stern face, hands on her hips. "You're not supposed to go too far from me. Anything could happen to you in a crowded area. No more running around where I can't see you. Are we clear?"

All three of them nodded apologetically. Nico sighed at how remorseful they looked before saying, "If you behave, I'll take you guys to the park."

"Really?" Cocoro asked, her eyes beaming with excitement. Nico nodded as her two sisters jumped in the air, Cotaro watching them with a small grin.

"But first, we need to get groceries," Nico reminded them.

"Let's go!" Cocoa announced, her fist pumped up in the air.

Maki had been watching their conversation and this being her first time watching siblings talk was a bit strange for the first-year. Nico didn't talk a lot about her siblings with Maki except for the small mention of them being a bit too energetic – and coming from Nico, that had to mean a lot.

Cocoa turned to face the observing redhead and quickly asked, "Can Maki-chan come with us?"

"What?" Nico and Maki said simultaneously, both surprised at the unanticipated suggestion.

"Yeah, Onee-sama," Cocoro continued, "you said we'd get to hang out with your partner."

"I said 'meet' not 'hang out'," replied Nico, a little nervous.

"Aw, but Onee-chan, she's already here," Cocoa pointed out, gesturing towards Maki. "Can't she come with us?"

Cocoro and Cocoa pouted at their older sister as Cotaro added a "please." Nico looked at her partner, not knowing how she'd feel about being around her siblings so suddenly for the day. Maki was watching the three of them look at their sister with pleading eyes, waiting for an answer.

"I guess I can go with you guys today," Maki said, twirling a strand of hair.

The trio all suddenly turned to her with a huge smile on their faces; Maki's cheeks turning red with how thrilled they looked. She was already starting to regret her decision especially with Nico's nervous expression.

"A – are you sure?" Nico asked, trying not to sound like she was chasing Maki away. "You're not busy today?"

The tone in Nico's voice irritated Maki. "I'm not busy. I could go with you guys," she stated; if Nico didn't think she could handle her siblings, then Maki was going to prove her wrong.

"Are you really sure?" Nico repeated, nervously smiling.

"Onee-sama, are you trying to chase her away?" Cocoro asked, her eyes narrowing at Nico.

"No, I wasn't," Nico replied, slightly scared that they saw right through her. "It's just Maki-chan's always busy – "

"But she just said she's not busy now," Cocoa reminded her. "So, she can hang out with us!"

Nico sighed in defeat. "Are you fine with following us to the grocery store first?" she asked the first-year; Maki shrugged her shoulders, not really caring. "Okay, then let's get going."

* * *

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan! Can we get this?"

"No. We're only getting what we need for dinner."

"What about this one?"

"You don't even like that."

"Onee-sama, Cotaro keeps hitting me."

"Cotaro, no more."

"Onee-chan, how about this?"

"No, Cocoa."

"He's still doing it!"

"Cotaro, I will take the toy away if you don't stop."

"Meanie."

"Onee-chan – "

"For the last time, Cocoa, no."

Maki didn't know what was worse: that she was hanging out with the family that could easily be mistaken for a bad sitcom or that people were actually watching them as if they _were_ a sitcom.

The redhead followed a few feet away behind Nico who was pushing the cart that held Cotaro in it; Maki could tell by her timid footsteps that Nico was doing her best to keep her calm, but with her siblings causing scene after scene, she was getting more nervous by the minute. The other two were running around the store, trying their best to help Nico find the required ingredients, but would ultimately come back with food that weren't needed, leaving the third-year to get it herself.

Maki didn't know anything about cooking since she had people do it for her and it surprised her a little that Nico seemed to know all these food terms like the back of her hand. Maki always noticed Nico had delicious looking lunches, but the raven-haired never said she was the one who made them; it made her curious as to how good of a cook her partner was, but she wasn't about to ask Nico to make one for her.

"Maki-chan," a voice said as a hand tugged on her wrist to get her attention. Maki looked down to find Cocoa next to her. "What do you like to eat?"

"Huh?" the question caught Maki off guard, but she had to answer the girl or it'd just be awkward. "Um…I'm not too picky."

"Do you have a favorite food?" Cocoa asked, smiling about the fact that she was making conversation with Maki.

"Eh? Uh…well I like tomatoes," Maki answered, trying to look as casual as possible.

"Really?" Cocoa said in surprise. "I don't really like tomatoes, but Onee-chan always tells me to eat them so I could grow like her."

Maki giggled at the statement since the first-year had a feeling her siblings would end up growing taller than Nico anyway. Cocoa smiled at her before asking, "Do you like Onee-chan?"

"Wah…" Maki blurted out, almost choking on her own saliva. She's never really been asked this question, despite her and Nico being partners, so she never thought about it. "Um…I…"

Cocoa frowned at the weird reaction. "Do you not like Onee-chan?"

"That's not it," Maki quickly replied as she started twirling her hair in nervousness. "I mean – I guess…I do."

Cocoa beamed at the older girl; she started to happily hum a tune that sounded like a pop song Nico forced Maki to listen to. They didn't say anymore after that, Cocoa seeming to be content with Maki's answer, but now that the little girl mentioned it, Maki couldn't stop thinking about it. Nico was her life partner, which meant that she had to like her, right? But the question confused her.

As long as she could remember, Maki never really had a crush on anyone growing up, putting all her time and effort into her studies and music. She never participated in conversations about the person someone liked or who they hoped would be their future partner since she always thought they were such useless subjects. She didn't know what it meant to like someone or how to separate that feeling from just caring about someone like how she felt about her family or her friends. So what was the difference?

She watched as Nico, who was a little further down the aisle, looked around for the ingredient she needed, Cotaro intensely watching her. The third-year was muttering to herself – probably saying the names of all the brands her eyes scanned over – until Cotaro hit her on the head with his toy, breaking her concentration.

Nico clutched the top of her head in pain. "Cotaro, that wasn't nice," Maki heard her tell the little boy.

"Sorry."

Maki had to hold in a laugh as Cotaro hit her again without any hesitation. Nico groaned in exhaustion, not even wasting any more time to scold him again.

 _I'll figure it out eventually._

* * *

"Let's go, Maki-chan!"

In spite of the trio's rowdiness throughout the day, Nico had brought them to the park closest to their apartment. The third-year had asked Maki to watch them as she put the groceries away and Maki reluctantly agreed since she didn't want to cause any trouble, but as Cocoro and Cocoa each pulled one of the redhead's arms to coerce her into playing with them, Maki cursed Nico for being so slow.

"Wait - hold on - "

"C'mon, Maki-chan, play with us!" Cocoa smiled as the two girls dragged Maki towards the swings, Cotaro following right behind them.

Maki struggled to reject them and ended up letting herself get pulled to the swing set. Cocoa claimed one of the swings immediately, smiling triumphantly. Cotaro stood in front of the other one, waiting for Cocoro to lift him up.

"Maki-chan, Maki-chan," Cocoa chanted, jumping up and down on her seat. "Push me, push me!"

The first-year looked at her with an unsure expression as she slowly made her way behind the bubbly girl and started to push her lightly, not knowing how powerful a push she was supposed to do since she's never had to watch over younger kids, but when Cocoa ordered Maki to push her harder, Maki complied as the little girl giggled at how high – from her point of view – she was going.

"Look, Cotaro! I can almost touch the sky!" Cocoa shouted at her neighbor who was also giggling as Cocoro pushed him, of course, not as hard.

A small smile played on Maki's face from how excited they were getting at such a simple activity. Just watching them made her feel excited too.

"You do look better with a smile," Cocoro suddenly commented.

Maki looked at the younger girl in surprise as Cocoa and Cotaro were having too much fun trying to reach for the clouds to hear any kind of conversation around them.

"I – is that so?" Maki said shyly as Cocoro smiled at her while continuing to push her younger brother.

The girl hummed in reply before replying, "Onee-sama told me you look nicer when you smile. She was right."

The tips of Maki's ears starting to turn red and she turned away from Cocoro in order to hide her embarrassment. "She said that, did she?" Maki asked, trying to sound less flattered than she really was.

Before Cocoro could continue the conversation, Cocoa suddenly jumped off the swing and landed on her two feet, letting the seat fly back towards Maki. "Onee-chan! Play with us!" she shouted at the approaching figure of Nico.

Cocoa ran to her older sister as Cotaro followed suit, leaving Maki and Cocoro at the now empty swings. Once Cocoa had reached Nico, she jumped onto the third-year who wasn't ready to catch her, resulting in the both of them falling backwards.

"Let's go over there!" the little girl exclaimed, sitting on top of Nico and pointing to the climber.

"Agh…" was all Nico said as she stared at the equipment nervously. "Yeah, sure...but I'll stay on the ground in case you fall."

Maki shook her head with a grin, remembering how afraid her partner was of heights. To think she couldn't even be off the ground was funny for Maki since the smaller girl acted like a big shot all the time.

"Onee-sama really is scared of heights," Cocoro giggled as she stood closer to Maki, both of them watching Cocoa pull Nico towards their destination. Maki hummed as Cocoa quickly climbed the playground equipment, Nico watching her anxiously.

"What are you scared of, Maki-chan?" the younger girl asked, looking up at the redhead with curiosity. "Onee-sama says everyone is scared of something."

"Eh…um…" Maki was a little embarrassed to tell the little girl what she was afraid of since she thought it was childish. "Well…I guess you can say I'm…a little scared of thunder."

"Oh! Me too!" Cocoro replied proudly. "But as long as Onee-sama, Cocoa, and Cotaro are there, it's not so scary."

Maki grinned at Cocoro as she heard Nico shouting at Cotaro not to go too high up. The redhead turned to them, watching as Cocoa fearlessly stood on the top of the climber, posing as if she just conquered a mountain. Nico was trying to get Cotaro to get down, but the little boy was determined to be by Cocoa's side.

"Onee-sama says that her greatest fear is not reaching her dreams," Cocoro stated matter-of-factly, breaking the silence.

The first-year looked at the younger girl in curiosity; Nico never mentioned her dream despite always being excited about Maki's dream of making it to nationals. "W – what's Nico-chan's dream?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested.

Cocoro turned to her with a wide smile before saying, "Her dream is to be an idol."

Maki's eyebrow twitched in disbelief. She should've known all that singing of weird songs and idol craziness was for a good reason.

But then Cocoro continued, "She wants to make people smile. Onee-sama says that when other people are happy, she's happy."

The redhead didn't know how to respond to such an honest statement. She watched Nico be dragged, yet again, by Cocoa to another part of the playground. They stopped in front of the slide; both Cocoa and Cotaro made their way to the top with Nico waiting at the bottom. Cocoa went down first, trying to slide faster by pushing herself off as hard as she could. Cotaro followed after, slowly making his way down. Cocoro ran to join her siblings, also making her way to the top of the slide to have a turn. This cycle went on for a while as Nico watched them until she turned back to where Maki still stood.

Making eye contact with her partner, Nico smiled and waved as if to make sure Maki was still okay, not paying attention to the speeding Cocoa coming down the slide. The girl crashed into her older sister, both of them falling to the ground. Nico sighed as Cocoa laughed at how thrilling it was.

Maki smiled at the worn-out Nico as she slowly got up and dusted herself off only to be pulled to the monkey bars by Cocoro.

With the sun slowly disappearing into the horizon, the sky turning from light blue to dark orange, the noise of cars and people nowhere to be found, and the sight of her partner with her three siblings, it was inevitable.

Maki found her inspiration.


	8. Chapter 7: Number 1 Idol

**This one took a while cause...yeah, hopefully you'll see. Anyway, I have just finished setting up my sideblog and I have a one-shot on the way. Still fixing my theme so don't mind it for now. The URL is:** nikoxnii **.** **I won't be posting any one-shots till I get a good amount of followers so please follow me if you have a tumblr! I'd really appreciate it.**

 **Other than that, enjoy this chapter! Cause I had fun writing it.**

* * *

"Stop fighting and just do it!"

"No! Now get off of me!"

"If you stop struggling, it'll be over sooner!"

"I don't want to do it in the first place!"

"Just let me do it!"

"Why would I do that?!"

"Because you're my partner. It's bound to happen anyway!"

"You can't force it if I don't feel like it!"

"Maki, stop being so difficult!"

"Stop being so stubborn!"

Maki didn't know how she got in this situation: Nico had pinned the redhead to the ground while she sat on top of her. Maki didn't like it, not with the way her red eyes were looking down at her with so much determination. It all started either because she agreed to meet Nico after her piano practice or the fact that the third-year brought her into her room and Maki stupidly walked in, not realizing something like this could actually happen. Either way, the smaller girl was somehow winning and Maki knew she was going to get her way.

And all because Nico wanted Maki to listen to another song.

"I don't want to listen to another one!" Maki complained, trying to wiggle her arms out of Nico's grip.

"It's a good song, you'll like it," Nico argued back, using all her strength to hold the younger girl down so she wouldn't break free. The third-year didn't know how she was able to keep her partner from escaping since they both knew who was stronger, but she was going to win no matter how long it took.

"You said that about the other one and it was about some girl running away from home to be with some guy," the first-year complained.

"What's wrong with that?" Nico asked sternly, putting her face only inches away from Maki's.

"It's _stupid_ ," Maki emphasized, pressing her forehead angrily against Nico's as they both clenched their teeth in frustration. They both started growling at each other as they had a glaring contest.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry," they both heard from Nico's doorway. In surprise, they both looked up (Maki's view upside down) to find Nico's mom had opened the door to find the two of them in what looked…really suspicious.

"I didn't know Nico brought you today, Maki-chan," her mom said, smiling at the two girls.

"Mama, its not what looks like," Nico quickly said, still holding down on Maki's wrists as she started to turn red.

The woman laughed before saying, "Now, Nico, no need to make excuses. You guys have been partners for two months after all, I'm sure this happens all the time. Next time, just let me know when Maki-chan's over so I won't be disrupting anything."

"Mama, I'm being honest – "

"Don't be so shy, Nico," her mom cut her off. "Look, you're embarrassing Maki-chan."

Nico looked down at the younger girl who had also turned a shade of red and was doing her best not to look at Nico or her mom. Nico quickly let go of her wrists, but Maki was too self-conscious to move them.

"Well, have fun you two," her mom said as she started closing the door behind her. "But not too much fun, there are three little kids in the next room," she added with a wink.

"Mama – "

But the older lady had closed the door shut, leaving the two girls in complete awkwardness. Nico gulped before getting off the younger girl as Maki laid still, both of them averting each other's gaze.

"Sorry," Nico muttered.

"Just give me the damn earphone," Maki demanded, trying to get over the humiliation.

Nico handed Maki her phone without looking her way, the first-year doing the same as she grabbed the object. She quickly placed the earphones into her ear and pressed play on the song Nico was trying to show her.

The first thing she heard was the voice Nico couldn't get enough of. She was always playing their songs and talked about them more now that Maki knew Nico wanted to be an idol. The third-year even proudly admitted that she went to their school every morning as if that was her greatest accomplishment.

Maki pulled the earphones off as Nico waited patiently for her response. The first-year sighed before saying, "It's okay."

"Only okay?!" Nico said in disbelief. "How can that only be okay? It was amazing!"

"You're exaggerating," the redhead replied as she sat up and narrowed her eyes at her partner. Nico always exaggerated how good the songs from her favorite idols were.

"They're extraordinary! Incredible! Sensational!" Nico stated, her arms in the air to give her definitions emphasis. "They're – they're A-Rise!"

"And your point is?" the first-year asked, running a hand in her hair to fix it from their earlier struggle.

Nico grumbled, "You just don't understand great music."

The redhead raised an eyebrow as she replied matter-of-factly, "You do know I write music."

"So?" the third-year said, confusing her partner at how a statement like that didn't register in Nico's mind.

"Let me repeat that in a way you'd understand," Maki said sarcastically. "I. Write. Music." As she said this, Maki made hand signals that matched her words as if she was talking to a three-year old. Nico glared at her, but Maki was unfazed by the smaller girl's outraged stare.

"Are you done?" she asked after a few seconds of intense staring.

Maki just shrugged her shoulders while smirking at how irritated Nico looked. It was somehow fun pushing the older girl's buttons, but she always made sure not to go too far. Ever since she spent the day with Nico and her siblings, Maki found it easier to talk to the third-year but because of this, their conversations usually ended up in some sort of argument since one of them always had to make a comment about the other.

Nico groaned as she laid on her back, her arms over her eyes. "You're unbelievable," she muttered.

"I know," the redhead replied. "Deal with it."

* * *

Nico ran passed the crowd in front of the best school in Akihabara in order to get the best view of A-Rise on the big screen. Her small stature easily allowed her to squeeze through the people also stopping to wait for the popular idol group's morning welcome. As soon as she made it as close as she could get, Nico stared up at the screen as the three idols appeared, Nico's all time inspiration right in the middle.

"Welcome to UTX High School. How are you all doing today? We have a special song for you so I hope you all enjoy."

A-Rise had started their morning dance special by the time Nozomi and Eli caught up with their friend who was too intrigued to the screen to take notice.

"N…Nico," Eli breathed out, still trying to catch her breath. "We need to go or we'll be late."

Nico didn't say anything, still looking up at the screen as A-Rise's new song was blasting through Akiba. Eli and Nozomi glanced at each other before Nozomi put a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder to get her attention. Nico jolted at the contact and quickly turned to her two friends.

"Nicocchi, we have to get to school," Nozomi reminded her. "We can come back after."

"I didn't ask you two to follow me," Nico stated, narrowing her eyes.

Eli sighed and said, "You really like them, don't you?" The blonde looked up at the screen, watching the three dancing figures.

"Well, Nicocchi does want to be an idol; I'm not surprised that she would have a crush on one of them," Nozomi said with a smirk as Nico turned to her with a flustered look.

"I – I do not have a crush on her," Nico stated nervously. "I just happen to think she's a really good idol."

"Is that so?" the purple-haired girl said mockingly.

Nico grind her teeth together, trying not to lose her composure in front of the school she so badly wanted to go to, but couldn't afford. She made it a point to visit it everyday after A-Rise was born.

"Nozomi," Eli started, "let's not get into it so early in the morning."

"But Elichi, Nicocchi is too cute when she's embarrassed," Nozomi replied, smiling at her partner while Nico was rubbing her cheeks to get the redness down.

Eli exhaled before hearing Nico say, "Just you watch, Nozomi!" She was pointing directly at the older girl, surprising Eli at how quickly she recovered from her discomposure. "I will be the number one idol and I'll be noticed by everyone, even Kira Tsubasa."

"Is that how it goes?" they heard someone say from behind Nico.

Nico didn't dare to turn back, but from the expressions on both Nozomi and Eli's faces, she knew exactly who had just overheard her conversation. Nico stood frozen in place, hoping she just heard wrong, but as Nozomi discreetly pointed to indicate the smaller girl to turn around, Nico had no choice.

Wearing her school uniform with a smile on her face, trying to blend into the crowd, as everyone else was too busy staring at the screen, was the one and only, Kira Tsubasa.

The third-year had her mouth hanging open, too shocked to say anything, but not wanting to look stupid, Nico wanted to say something to break the tension.

"Tsu – you – screen – dancing – idol – here – "

 _So much for not looking like an idiot_.

The idol simply laughed at Nico, surprising the smaller girl of her reaction to Nico's awkwardness. The three third-years stared at the giggling Tsubasa as everyone else took no notice of their idol standing on the same sidewalk as them.

"You're funny," she stated once she finished. "Why don't we go somewhere we can talk without worrying about someone seeing us out here?"

"Idol – A-Rise – you – "

Eli groaned at how much Nico was embarrassing herself as Nozomi laughed, sneakily recording the smaller girl with her phone so she could harass her later.

Tsubasa giggled again before grabbing the flustered girl's wrist to drag her quickly towards the school; Eli and Nozomi followed behind, making sure not to lose track of them in the crowded area. They stopped at the entrance of UTX and made their way in before anyone could notice them. Nico was still spurting random words in an effort to form a coherent sentence as Tsubasa held on to the third-year's wrist.

As soon as the idol let go, Nico screamed and managed to say, "You're Kira Tsubasa!" as if it only hit her at that moment.

"I see you know who I am," she replied as the other two third-years caught up to them.

"Who doesn't know who you are?" the raven-haired girl said. "You're one of the biggest school idols; with Yuuki Anju and Toudou Erena, you make up the popular A-Rise." Tsubasa smiled at the compliment, making Nico turn a little red that her favorite idol was grinning at her.

"We're sorry for our friend," Eli said, stepping beside Nico. "She gets too excited in certain situations."

"Nicocchi isn't someone who thinks very much," Nozomi added sarcastically. Nico was about to jump at her childhood friend, but Eli held tightly on to her blazer to keep the smaller girl from embarrassing all of them in front of Tsubasa. Although, she had a feeling the idol already had some sort of description for them.

"It's quite okay," Tsubasa assured them. "I'm sure I wasn't supposed to overhear your conversation." Eli stared at her, surprised by how humble she was despite her rising popularity.

Tsubasa looked at Nico who was a little red from realizing that she had heard what the third-year said. "So you want to become an idol?"

"Eh…uh, yeah," the third-year shyly answered, making both of her friends turn their heads in astonishment; never once had they met such a diffident Nico.

Tsubasa made her way towards the raven-haired as Nico tensed up at how much closer she got. As soon as she was only a foot away from the third-year – both Eli and Nozomi quietly watching – she gave Nico a warm smile before saying, "Why don't you spend the day with me?"

The blonde and the purple-haired responded quickly with a small jolt at such an invitation, but Nico stared, half from being mesmerized by how pretty Tsubasa was and the other half still registering what the idol had just suggested.

"What?"

* * *

The redhead sat next to her two friends, not really listening to the conversation since she was trying to formulate a good melody inside her head. She found her inspiration and was close to finishing it; now her only problem was a good way to end the song. Maki was close to finding the perfect ending when their classroom door crashed open, making everyone turn their heads to find one of their seniors standing at the entrance.

"Maki-chan!" Nico had shouted, half excited and half irritated.

The first-years in the room watched at Nico stomped her way towards the sitting redhead who was the only one not looking at her.

"Maki-chan," the third-year repeated as soon as she stood next to her, trying to seem intimating by towering over her.

"What?" she replied callously, not bothering to turn her head to look at her partner.

"Come with me," Nico demanded, grabbing Maki's wrist before she could answer and pulling her on her feet and towards the door. The first-year rejected her loudly, but it went ignored as Nico dragged her out the door, leaving all of Maki's classmates to wonder how they got along as partners.

"What are you doing?" Maki hissed as soon as Nico let go of her wrist, both of them standing far enough from everyone else. "Class starts in ten minutes and you drag me out of it? I can't be thought of as some sort of rebel."

"Just give me a minute," Nico argued. "I need to tell you something."

"Hurry up," the redhead urged, looking at her watch to make sure she still had time before a teacher would walk in to find her seat empty.

Maki raised an eyebrow as Nico looked around to make sure no one else was around them. It was iffy since the third-year seemed to be determined to make sure no one else would hear or see them.

As soon as the smaller girl was convinced that they were the only ones in the hallway, she quickly smiled, surprising her partner at the unexpected expression.

"Why are you smiling so…weirdly?" she asked, pointing to Nico's mouth.

"I just met the greatest idol this morning," Nico replied as she started to slightly sway her body in happiness.

"Don't tell me this is some sort of joke and that you're going to say that you looked in the mirror," Maki deadpanned.

"Huh?! No!" Nico loudly objected, all happiness disappearing from her face. "I met Kira Tsubasa!"

"You met who?" Maki baffled.

"Kira Tsubasa," Nico repeated with a more dreamy tone that it made the first-year flinch. "She talked to me and everything."

The redhead stared at her scarily happy partner as she started to hop on the toes of her feet as if her joy was slowly overtaking her small body. Maki knew that Nico loved A-Rise, especially their leader, but she never expected the almighty third-year to act so…vibrantly.

"And…" Nico started, looking at Maki with ecstatic eyes, "…she invited me to spend the day with her so she could show me what it means to be an idol."

"She what?" she replied.

"Are you even listening to me?" Nico huffed, placing her hands on her hips. It was starting to irritate Maki that whenever her partner talked about Kira Tsubasa, she had this twinkle in her eyes, but when she would be talking to her, it was always hostile and glowering.

Maki simply nodded, too annoyed to even open her mouth. Nico didn't seem to notice her partner's infuriated mood, as she was too busy smiling that she had met Tsubasa.

The redhead's eyebrow twitched as she watched Nico's too-happy state that the words came out of her mouth before she could stop herself from saying it.

"I'm going with you."

Nico turned to her partner with a look of surprise. She tried to find some sort of reasoning in her expression, but Maki was trying very hard to keep an apathetic face in order to hide the fact that she didn't mean to say what she did.

"Okay…if you want to," Nico finally replied as soon as the bell rang, warning the students that classes were to start in five minutes. "Well, we better get to class. I'll see you later, Maki-chan!"

The third-year ran down the hall and up the stairs towards her classroom, leaving Maki to stand there, the tips of her ears starting to burn up from frustration. She stopped herself from shouting since she was in the school building, but she ended up slapping her cheeks hard enough to leave red handprints behind.

 _What the hell was that?_

* * *

 _'Meet me in front of Akiba station.'_

It was seven in the morning and Maki had woken up from a text message. She opened it to find that Nico was already awake – probably from her excitment that the redhead wanted to smash her phone – and that she had texted her partner to let her know where to go.

They weren't planning to meet up until at least lunchtime and the first-year was still debating whether she really wanted to go, but she wasn't about to give Nico a reason to throw a fit with her. Not like the raven-haired girl would care anyway since she would be alone with her favorite idol in the world.

Maki groaned at the image of her partner being all so happy about Kira Tsubasa. She didn't understand why she felt so irritated with it, but she did and she didn't know how to stop the feeling.

"Maki-chan, I'm leaving now," her mother shouted from downstairs in case her daughter was awake. Maki didn't reply, knowing her mom would just think she was still asleep. As soon as the door opened and closed, the redhead got out of her bed and walked over to her computer which she left open the night before. Maki had researched all about A-Rise, mostly focusing on Nico's precious Tsubasa. It made Maki's blood boil that she wanted to punch the computer screen whenever Kira Tsubasa's face popped up.

The redhead exhaled to calm herself down and stared at one of the searched pictures that she came across the night before. It was from an article about A-Rise's astounding success; Tsubasa, being the leader, had been interviewed about her opinion on her group's rising popularity – Maki hated the fact that she sounded so modest.

It was a candid picture one of the photographers had taken during the interview; Tsubasa was smiling charmingly at the reporter and she was still wearing her costume from their performance that had happened before the interview started. Her green eyes sparkling and her brown hair staying neatly in place despite their fast pace dancing (Maki had even watched their different performances to get an idea of how good of an idol she really is).

Maki sighed before closing down the many tabs she had ended up opening. She stopped in front of her mirror and started to unconsciously comb her red hair to tie it together and let it hang over her left shoulder just as Hanayo did during the district competitions. The first-year undid it when it wasn't perfect and had tried a few more times to make her hair cooperate with her. Realizing that she was wasting time trying to fix her hair – something she didn't usually care about – she hastily threw the hair tie away to stop herself.

 _What am I doing?_

Maki shook her head to have her crimson hair rest back in its usual style before walking towards her closet, deciding to choose her clothes so she wouldn't have to worry about it for the rest of her morning. That meant she'd have time to focus on her practicing for regionals.

She quickly picked out one of her usual shirts and shorts to match. She hung it up and was about to walk out the door when she remembered how Tsubasa usually dressed: simple, but stylish. Maki clenched her teeth, trying to tell herself not turn around back to her closet.

 _Don't do it, Maki. You have more important things to do._

She glanced back at her chosen clothes for the day and compared it to Tsubasa's style of clothing. The first-year groaned before walking back to her clothing, really going through it and throwing out any of her piece of clothing that didn't meet her standards. All the images of Tsubasa that she had seen on the Internet kept popping into her mind like it was trying to torture the redhead. It was enraging her that she was wasting so much time looking for something to wear, but she couldn't stop herself until she felt satisfied with it.

 _This is all Nico's fault._

* * *

"You're late!" Nico exclaimed as soon as the redhead had walked out of the station. Her partner was waiting right outside; she was dressed in a white button down with a black skirt. It pissed Maki off that her partner never spent so much effort to look nice for her.

"Sorry, I was busy practicing," Maki replied. It was a huge lie; the younger girl ended up spending all of her morning trying to pick out her clothing and fixing her hair, finally deciding to just pick whatever matched when she realized that it was already 11:30.

Nico huffed, knowing how important it was that her partner practiced in order to win the regionals. Maki bit her lip to keep herself from smiling that the third-year couldn't argue back, but now felt a little bad that she lied about it.

"You guys are early." Nico and Maki turned to find Tsubasa standing there with a smile. "I don't feel so self-conscious for coming for early now."

"You're actually just in time, Tsubasa," Nico said, smiling back at the idol she so admired. "You're not early at all."

 _Kiss up_.

Tsubasa laughed in response before turning to face the first-year who immediately felt edgy with the popular idol looking directly at her, "You're Nishikino Maki."

"Huh? You know me?" the redhead asked bewilderedly.

"Of course," Tsubasa replied. "You've won tons of piano competitions ever since you were in elementary. You recently placed first in the district competition, which means you'll be playing in regionals." Maki raised an eyebrow in confusion as Nico looked back between her partner and Tsubasa, not knowing whether to be thrilled or envious that her favorite idol knew her life partner. "Your name appears in the news a lot and I happen to be a big supporter."

"Ueh…" Maki was utterly confused.

"Well, we should get going now before we lose any more time," Nico quickly said, grabbing Tsubasa's attention as Maki stared at the idol.

"You're right, let's get going," Tsubasa agreed, walking in between the two girls in order to lead the way to wherever they were headed. Nico easily followed her lead while Maki stayed a few feet away.

"So, where are we going, Kira-san?" the third-year asked happily, practically jumping with each step she took.

Tsubasa thought for a moment before saying, "Well, you want to know what it means to be an idol. So I think we should go somewhere we can talk without being disturbed."

Nico silently moaned excitedly, making sure Tsubasa didn't hear her, but Maki sure heard it loud and clear that she wanted to slap her so badly just so she could remember that her partner was right there.

They walked down the sidewalk, a few people trying to stop the idol for a picture or autograph. Tsubasa politely declined, gesturing towards her two guests while telling them that she doesn't want to be rude by ignoring them. Nico felt like a star that she was getting so much attention just by being with A-Rise's leader while Maki felt annoyed that people kept staring at them, but she couldn't do anything if Tsubasa had to make it known that she was entertaining people.

The three of them stopped in front of a small café that Maki had passed a few times on her way to her piano sessions, but never actually went in. People dressed in high fashion clothing always came out of the café, making it one of the high class places in Akihabara.

"We're going in here?" Nico asked, looking at how different the outside of the café looked from the rest of Akiba.

Tsubasa nodded as she said, "It's a nice place to have a chat without being disrupted. It's small and quiet; I'm sure you two will like it."

The idol opened the door, the two girls following after her. The café was a small place with only so many tables set out and quiet compared to what it sounded like on the other side of the door. A young woman approached them with a menu, smiling at the idol as she asked, "For three, Kira-san?"

"Yes, please," the idol replied. The lady gestured for them to follow her towards somewhere in the back where not much people were at. They sat down at a round table, their waitress asking if they wanted anything to drink. Tsubasa told her that they'll start off with coffee and the lady quickly left.

"Wow," Nico muttered, looking around at how elegant the café looked. "This place is amazing."

Tsubasa rested her head on the top of her hands while her elbows supported her up, a position that Aoi always took that it made Maki feel a little uneasy. "We like to come here during breaks or when we want to escape from our idol lives."

"Must be hard," Maki unconsciously muttered.

The idol turned to face her, Maki hoping she didn't hear the sarcasm in her voice, but when she smiled at the first-year, Maki responded by smiling nervously to keep her nerves down.

"Sometimes," Tsubasa replied. "But it's mostly fun just to make our fans happy. Just like Yazawa-san here."

Nico blushed at the sound of her name that Maki resisted to roll her eyes when the idol's gaze were still on her.

"Yazawa-san is one of our fans who have supported us since the beginning," Tsubasa stated, turning to look at the embarrassed Nico. "I'm grateful for the people who believe in us."

Nico nervously smiled at Tsubasa, her cheeks turning an even darker red as the same twinkle in her eyes appeared; Maki was on the verge of punching that stupid look off of her face.

"Nishikino-san, I'm sure you've had people follow you in your piano career since you were young," the idol said.

"No," Maki replied, disinterested, that Nico shot her a look. "And I've been playing since elementary so that'd be a little…weird."

Tsubasa chuckled at the honest statement before replying, "I guess you're right. But even now, I have to deal with some very 'outgoing' fans."

"Is that so? That must be exhausting," the redhead said, trying to keep her mocking tone hidden, but her veins felt like they were slowly popping out one by one whenever she looked across the table to Nico, who was simply admiring Tsubasa, much to Maki's disgust.

Tsubasa hummed with a smile. "At times, it is," she admitted. "But I appreciate every single one of our fans. They always show us that they care and let us know that they're supporting us through everything."

"I'm sure you get a lot of fan mail," the redhead said.

"You can say we do," the idol replied, "we cherish every single one of them. They're our strength; they're the real reason we do what we do."

Maki was gradually losing her motivation to break Tsubasa; she was way too perfect and it was a little eerie to the first-year. There was a reason Nico adored the idol and Maki found it: Tsubasa was down-to-earth, a great singer and dancer, and charismatic. But the way Nico looked at the idol irritated Maki so much that she felt it was going to get out of control at any moment. And the biggest problem was that the redhead didn't exactly know why she felt the way she did.

"That reminds me," Tsubasa started, turning to Nico who had been silent the whole time. "I want to thank you, Yazawa-san."

"F – for what?" Nico asked anxiously.

"Well, for probably being our number one supporter," she replied. Nico's eyes stared wide-eyed at the idol; Maki could pretty much see her partner screaming in the inside. She regretted coming to this hang out.

"Y – you're welcome," the third-year said, trying to keep the red in her cheeks from appearing again.

"Thank you for all the flowers, they were much appreciated," the idol added.

And that was the final straw.

"Will you excuse me?" Maki said, standing up and starting to walk towards the bathroom before either Nico or Tsubasa could answer.

As the first-year started walking away from the table, she heard a laugh coming out from Nico. Maki clenched her teeth in irritation – no, the feeling was bigger than that.

Unconsciously, Maki took a turn to head for the exit and stepped outside onto the sidewalk. She started walking in the direction of Mori-sensei's studio; she needed a place to let go off all these feelings since they were already seeping out of her. Every image of Nico's expression when she looked at Tsubasa frustrated Maki that she wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but thought it best that she shouldn't since she was in the middle of a very busy street.

The redhead walked at a fast-pace, pushing her way through the crowd to get as far away from the café as soon as possible. She had a feeling Nico wouldn't notice she actually left the building so there was no guilt in Maki; she didn't care if the third-year wanted to spend time with Tsubasa instead of her. She didn't care that her partner seemed to admire the idol so much that it was like Maki didn't exist. She didn't care that 80% of what Nico talks about with Maki is all about A-Rise and their number one leader.

No, she was wrong. She did care. Quite a lot.

She wasn't angry.

Maki was jealous.

* * *

 _ **maribeth** **:** how about tsubasa being an antagonist. :) haha.. for some thrill._  
 **Thank you for this amazing idea!** ** **It's a great transition for what's in store next update.** It was really interesting writing Tsubasa; I'm not too sure if I captured her accurately. But hopefully, this is something you were looking for.  
**

 **And thank you for all your reviews as well! Please let me know if you have any ideas; I'm open to suggestions.**

 **See you guys next time!**


	9. Chapter 8: The Clash

**I just wanna say I changed my username to match with my tumblr's own so it's easier. And speaking of tumblr, I'm finishing my first one-shot so I believe I should be posting it tomorrow so be ready for that!**

 **Again, I appreciate the reviews; they seriously help me figure out how I should keep going with this story.  
**

 **Note: this chapter was inspired from the song Beloved by Yiruma.**

 **See you guys next update!**

* * *

"The user you are trying to call is unavailable at – "

Nico hung up the phone before the voicemail ended; this was probably the 100th time she's heard it and she didn't want to be reminded again. It's been five days since Maki left without a word and Nico hasn't been able to find her since then.

It took Nico an hour to notice the redhead didn't return to her seat and had ended her meeting with Tsubasa early – much to her displeasure. But after searching the streets of Akiba for a while and with Maki not answering any of her calls, the third-year didn't know if she was more angry or worried.

Nico stared up at the ceiling, her homework lying out on the floor next to her, not one of them completed. She groaned out of frustration as she clutched her phone tightly, wishing Maki would just stop avoiding her. Nico figured out pretty quickly how stubborn her partner could be, but it wasn't helpful that she won't communicate with her. She just wanted to know why the first-year left so suddenly when she was the one who wanted to go in the first place or why she seemed so choleric that day.

"Maki-chan is _stupid_!" the third-year exclaimed despite it being late on a Thursday night, which meant her siblings should be asleep. But when a knock on the door reached Nico's ears, she quickly sat up to find Cocoro at the entrance, dressed in her pajamas with a worried look on her face.

"Is there something wrong, Onee-sama?"

Nico smiled weakly at her sister before saying, "It's nothing. Now go back to bed."

Cocoro stood there for a couple of more minutes before deciding to walk in. The little girl slowly made her way towards her sister and sat down in front of her.

They sat down in silence until Cocoro asked, "Did you and Maki-chan fight?"

"Bwagh!"

"So you did have a fight," she repeated.

"I…actually don't know," the third-year replied honestly, not wanting to cause any trouble for her little sister. She wasn't quite sure she could call it a fight, but something was definitely wrong by the way things have been going lately.

Cocoro hummed in thought before saying, "So, why are you calling Maki-chan dumb?"

Nico chuckled nervously. "You heard that?" The younger girl nodded, the same worried look still on her face as Nico sighed. "Don't worry about it, Cocoro; it's big kid stuff."

"I may not understand, Onee-sama," Cocoro started, standing up to walk towards the door, her older sister watching her. "But whatever it is, I'm sure you two can solve it. I know you like Maki-chan so you can find a way to fix the problem."

Nico stared at her sister's retreating figure in utter shock at how much she understood at such a young age. Maybe she's not such a little kid anymore; Nico would've cried tears of happiness if it weren't for the fact that she was more worried about the problem at hand.

"Don't stay up too late, Onee-sama," the little girl added as she opened the bedroom door to walk out. "You have other things to think about too. Good night." Cocoro smiled before closing the door, leaving Nico to be alone in her room again.

The third-year laid back to think about what her younger sister just said. She grabbed her phone to check if Maki replied back to anything, but it was full of messages that Nico had sent.

Closing her messages to open her email, she scrolled down until she reached the email she received from Tsubasa not long ago. Nico read it over and over again, her heart beating faster as she read every line twice until she had reached the end of the message. After finishing, she set her phone down and exhaled to get calm her nerves. She closed her tired eyes and slowly drifted off into sleep, leaving her phone to stay on the last line of Tsubasa's email.

 _'Let me know your answer as soon as possible.'_

* * *

Maki started walking out the classroom door as soon as the bell rang, her two friends watching the darting girl without saying a word. They've noticed the redhead always leaving in a hurry the whole week, but Maki didn't want to talk about it. They knew it had something to do with Nico only because Rin made the mistake of mentioning her, resulting in Maki punching the top of her desk in frustration at the sound of Nico's name.

"What should we do, Kayochin, nya?" Rin asked as Maki slid the door closed.

"We shouldn't put ourselves into their problem," Hanayo replied, slowly putting the stuff she needed into her school bag before slinging it onto her shoulder.

Rin groaned in sadness as she got up from her seat to follow her childhood friend out the classroom door. "But Maki-chan looks so…angry. I'm worried it will give her wrinkles."

Hanayo giggled at the weird concern before saying, "I'm sure Maki-chan will be fine. It's just a small bump."

As the two girls made a turn towards their shoe locker, they found the redhead standing in front of the entrance-way, frozen from whatever she was looking at. Curiously, they both made their way to the still figure.

"Maki-chan…" Rin said, startling Maki who was not expecting her two friends to come out so soon. "What's wrong, nya?"

Maki didn't reply, staring out in both anxiety and fury. The redhead had been avoiding the third-year as much as she could; ignoring phone calls, skimming passed messages, and leaving school as early as she could before Nico could even get out of her class. But today, the raven-haired girl was one step ahead of her.

Nico was standing at the gateway, watching students slowly pass by to make sure Maki doesn't try to sneak passed her. Her arms were across her chest, one foot tapping the ground in impatience. Maki was glad that she was far enough that she couldn't see the first-year standing right outside, but Maki had no other way to exit which meant she had to face Nico – something she definitely wasn't ready for.

"Maki-chan, maybe you should just talk to her," Hanayo suggested uneasily, knowing if the taller girl thought it was a bad idea, she'd bluntly reject it. But Maki didn't say anything, worrying the other two first-years.

"Maki-chan, nya…"

The redhead put a hand up to stop Rin from saying anymore. She already knew what she had to do and it was bound to happen anyway. She wasn't going to waste anymore time standing there; she needed to get to the studio and if Nico was going to be an obstacle today, then she was going to get through her.

Maki made her way to the gate, Rin and Hanayo watching her. The first-year took a deep breath, as she got closer to where Nico stood, the smaller girl still looking around that she didn't notice the redhead coming closer until she was about to pass the exit.

"Maki-chan!" she quickly called, stopping the girl from walking any further.

The first-year turned to face Nico as she approached the taller girl; Maki felt she had to take a few deep breaths or her heart might've popped out of her chest from suspense.

As soon as Nico stood in front of Maki, the first-year's heavy breathing hitched; the smell of strawberries filled her nose and she knew it came from Nico because the third-year always somehow smelled like strawberries. Maki had gotten used to her scent, but being away from it for almost a week had the aroma surrounding her.

"Maki-chan," Nico repeated, a look of worry on her face that the redhead almost felt bad until she remembered why she had been evading her in the first place. "I need to talk to you."

"Whatever you have to say can wait," Maki said harshly that she saw Nico's eyebrow twitch.

"No, we're talking about this now," the third-year replied in a senior-like tone as she placed her hands on her hips.

"There's nothing to talk about," Maki said, starting to walk towards the cross-walk as it turned green to give pedestrians the right of way; she was glad for the perfect timing, but annoyed when she realized Nico was following her. Maki had almost forgotten how persistent she was. "Why are you following me?"

"Because we need to talk," Nico repeated irritably.

Maki stopped walking and turned around to look at Nico with an exasperated expression. "I said there is nothing to talk about. Now leave me alone; I have to get to the studio."

Before she could fully turn to leave, Nico had firmly grasped Maki's wrist to stop her from going anywhere. "Then why have you been avoiding me?"

"I have not," Maki lied, trying not to stutter through her nervousness as Nico glared into her eyes.

"Stop lying to me, Maki," the raven-haired warned, gripping the younger girl's wrist tighter out of irritation. "Just tell me why you're acting this way?"

Maki furiously swiped her wrist out of Nico's grip, scaring the older girl with how violent the redhead was being. "I'm not acting like anything. I'm too busy right now so just….hang out with someone else," she said, the ending of her sentence coming out more like scornful order.

"What? I'm trying to talk to you," Nico argued back, her eyebrows scrunched up in fury.

"I don't want to talk," Maki replied, trying to keep her calm.

Nico clenched her teeth, her patience warring thin while Maki simply twirled her hair as if she didn't care about the situation at hand. The younger girl has been clearly making sure not to have any contact with the third-year and she wanted to know why. Nico finally had the redhead in front of her and she was determined to find an answer; the problem has been avoided long enough.

The third-year stared intensely at Maki while she looked anywhere else, but her partner. The apathetic look on her face started to piss Nico off that the words quickly slipped out of her mouth.

"You cut my meeting with Tsubasa short."

Maki jolted at the statement; her hair twirling abruptly stopped as her aloof expression quickly turned into one of anger. Nico immediately regretted saying it, not like she meant to in the first place; she knew how wrong it was to blame Maki when something was obviously bothering her.

"Maki-chan, I didn't…"

The first-year's face started to turn red with anger as she turned to look at Nico, who was trying to find a way to apologize.

"I'm sorry I ruined your precious date," Maki hissed, that Nico was taken aback.

"I didn't – "

"Don't even say you didn't mean it because we both know the truth!" Maki replied belligerently, glaring at the third-year with rage-filled eyes. "If that's what you wanted to tell me, then you've said it. Our talk is over. Now leave me alone!"

The redhead turned away from the stunned Nico and stomped the rest of the way to the station. Nico watched her partner leave, knowing she messed up her chance at fixing the problem. Despite Maki's outraged intensity, Nico could've sworn she saw hurt in the younger girl's eyes and it made the third-year's heart sting.

* * *

Maki had stormed into the building full of rage that no one dared talk to her as she passed by, leaving a trail of fire behind her. She didn't say anything as Aoi greeted her and she didn't acknowledge old Mori-sensei as she walked into his studio. She forcible sat on the piano bench that Mori-sensei was sure it would've broke in two if it wasn't for the fact that it was new.

Without saying a word (Mori-sensei knowing not to talk if something was on her mind), she had started to practice. At first, it sounded as if she had never played in her life, her fingers pressing the wrong keys that she had slammed on the keyboard out of frustration. She quickly re-did her warm-ups and found her rhythm as the redhead played the notes she wrote on the music sheet in front of her.

She had finished the piece she was planning to play at the regional competition: the piece that the Yazawas inspired. But as the first-year was nearing the end of her song, her mind wandered back to Nico's star-strucked face.

"Maki-chan, you stopped," she heard Mori-sensei say.

Maki snapped back to reality, realizing she had indeed stopped playing, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. Mori-sensei was standing next to her, looking at his student with a concern as Maki squeezed her hands shut to let her irritation slowly flow out of her since it was affecting her practice time.

The old man sat down next to the redhead as she let out a long sigh. "Is there something bothering you?"

"No, it's nothing," she replied, not wanting to waste any time talking about a problem she didn't want to mention.

Mori-sensei didn't say anything as he placed his hands over the keyboard, Maki watching him with interest. He slowly pressed down on a key and followed it with another note. Soon, he started playing a song Maki didn't recognize and the redhead listened to all of her teacher's performances when he was still a professional. The old man's fingers elegantly made music, filling the room with what the first-year would call magic. It was light-hearted, yet it spoke a thousand words.

As soon as he ended his piece, Maki looked at the old man's face with wonder. For such a beautiful song, why did he never play it in front of his fans? He kept the piece for himself, not once attempting to make it known for the world to hear it.

"Maki-chan," he started, looking happily at the keyboard in front of him. "Do you know why I never played that in front of a crowd?"

The redhead silently shook her head, too amazed to form any words. Mori-sensei chuckled at his calm student when just a while ago, she was practically breaking down walls.

"I wrote that piece back when I was still in high school," Mori-sensei told her. "I wrote it when I met my wife." Maki stared at her teacher as he gave her a warm smile, waiting for him to continue.

"I was 16 when I received my letter; I was in the same position you were in: trying to get ready for nationals when I had met her. We were completely different people; she was into all things athletics while I was too focused on music playing. We didn't understand each other at first: conversations were awkward, our ideas of a good time never matched up, and our goals didn't coincide."

Mori-sensei laughed at the first-year's puzzled expression before continuing, "It happened one day, we were trying as much as we could to make our relationship work. She had fallen into the river when a little boy on a bike was speeding down the sidewalk. She didn't know how to swim, her excuse being that she did 'land sports'. Without thinking, I dove in after her." He chuckled at the memory of it.

"And you knew how to swim?"

"Oh no," he admitted, taking Maki aback. "That was the funny part. We both ended up flailing in the river until someone had swum in to fish us out. That was probably the scariest ordeal I ever had to go through."

Maki scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "So what was the reason you told me this?"

The old man took a deep breath. "That was the day I realized she was the one. At that moment, I just knew that we were going to get passed the cumbersome situation. It did take a few more weeks, actually, maybe even months, before we started to fit the pieces together. I wrote that song for her. It was inspired by her; all the things we went through at such a young age."

"Why haven't you played it in front of anyone then?" the redhead asked.

"Because I love my wife."

"Huh?" the first-year was getting confused by the second; she knew her teacher was old, but it's not like he ever showed his age.

"I wrote this piece when I realized I was in love with her," Mori-sensei admitted, standing up to make his way back to the computer. "The feelings I put into it shouldn't be first felt in a song."

Maki quietly watched the old man plop back down in front of the computer screen, grinning at the high schooler. She didn't know how to reply, mostly because she was still a little confused what Mori-sensei was trying to teach her. But it was obvious that he wasn't going to say anymore, he was going to make Maki figure it out on her own just like he always did.

The redhead turned to face the silent piano in front of her, not knowing if she should continue practicing in the state she's in. The image of Nico irritated her more than anything, but she couldn't stop thinking about her. Maki knew the older girl always admired idols, but with how much Nico talked about Tsubasa and how great she is, the redhead had to wonder how she could compare to such a modest and charming super idol.

Maki looked out the glass window, only to jump out of the piano bench with panic. "I'm sorry, Mori-sensei, but I have to go."

The first-year grabbed the music sheet and her school bag before half jogging out the door, not waiting for her teacher to say anything. She sped down the hallway and into the lobby where Aoi was sitting behind the reception desk.

"Oh, Maki-chan, are you leaving already?" she asked as she watched Maki make her way towards the elevators and slap the down button.

"Huh? Yeah, I…uh, have to get home," the redhead replied hastily as the elevators doors opened and she stepped in, rapidly pressing the buttons to hurry the process.

The doors closed, the last thing Maki seeing was the perplexed face of Aoi. She had no time to explain, all she wanted to do was get home as fast as she could before the gray clouds that had slowly started to fill the sky got any darker.

* * *

"Nicocchi, it's rude to lay your head on the table."

Nico groaned in response, not moving an inch to remove herself from the cold restaurant table, her head faced down as both Eli and Nozomi stared at their depressed friend.

After Maki had left the awe-stricken third-year in front of the gate, she had walked all the way home, trying to think of some way to fix the situation. She had stared at her bedroom ceiling for an hour with no clear idea (her best plan being to follow the younger girl around until she agreed to talk). Nico called Eli for help, not wanting Nozomi to know since she felt the taller girl would just mock her, but Eli had brought her partner anyways.

"I said I was sorry," Eli said.

"Hmm."

"I won't mock you, Nicocchi," Nozomi tried to assure her.

"Hmm."

"Nico, it's no big deal."

The shorter girl popped her head up as she jumped out of her seat, her exasperated face looking at both of her friends while their expressions were filled with surprise. "It is a big deal! How am I ever going to talk to her again?"

"I think she moved on to another problem," Eli whispered to Nozomi.

Nozomi nodded before replying to Nico, "What are you talking about, Nicocchi?"

The raven-haired sat back down, crossing her arms in frustration. "It's about Maki-chan…she's been avoiding me and I have no idea how to fix the problem."

"What did you do?" Nozomi quickly asked.

"What makes you think I did something?!" Nico replied angrily at the assumption. Both Eli and Nozomi stared at the smaller girl with a deadpanned expression; they all knew the answer to that question.

"You didn't need to assume," the raven-haired girl grumbled under her breath. "To be honest, even if I did something, I don't know what it is I did. Maki-chan won't talk to me and I'm pretty sure I've made it worse."

Eli and Nozomi glanced at each other as if they were telepathically communicating. Nico wouldn't be surprised if their relationship has gotten that far; she wished she could know what Maki was thinking since the younger girl never showed much emotion except for her two favorites: boredom and annoyance.

"When did you notice something was wrong?" Eli asked.

Nico hummed in thought, remembering all the events (or lack of) through the passed week. "Well, she's been declining all my calls and ignoring my messages since she came with me to that meeting I had with Kira Tsubasa."

The other two third-years stayed quiet, staring at the confused Nico who had no idea what their silence meant.

"She went…with you?" Nozomi clarified, uncertainty in her voice.

"Uh huh."

"And she saw you interacting with Kira Tsubasa?" Eli added, also sounding a bit apprehensive.

"Yeah?" Nico didn't know where the constant questioning was going anymore.

"Did Maki-chan, I don't know…say anything?" the blonde asked her.

"I think that's the problem here," Nico deadpanned, her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

The partners looked at each other again without saying anything. It was starting to irritate the raven-haired since she _knew_ they were communicating somehow. The problem wasn't going to solve itself if they weren't going to put her into their conversations.

Nico sighed while slumping in her chair as if she was defeated. She was afraid things with her partner were going to start going downhill if she didn't fix the situation soon. The third-year had a feeling the problem was with her; now she had to figure out what it was which is why she called Eli (and Nozomi since they obviously came in a package). But now she felt there was no hope if the two people she trusted could help her were just going to keep having silent talks.

"Nicocchi…" Nozomi called, grabbing the tired third-year's attention. "I think you should talk to Maki-chan."

The smaller girl groaned. "Isn't that why I asked you two to come here; she _won't_ talk to me. I tried that earlier…after school, and she shouted at me."

"No, Nico," Eli said seriously that it made Nico sit up straight. "We mean that you need to _really_ talk to her."

"What does that mean?"

"Now that's something you'll have to figure out on your own," the purple-haired girl replied with a smile.

 _This is going nowhere._

Nico groaned for the how-many-th time as she looked out the window, both Eli and Nozomi talking to each other about another subject. The third-year watched as an older couple came out of a store together, holding a few shopping bags and laughing as they talked. The woman pointed to the sky in alarm, the man looking up as well to see what she was talking about. The third-year watched as he took out…an umbrella?

 _Huh? What do you need –_

Nico looked up, her eyes widening in uneasiness as she abruptly stood up from her seat, frightening Eli and Nozomi. The shorter girl quickly slid out of the booth and ran towards the exit, both of her friends watching her.

As soon as she stepped onto the sidewalk, Nico flipped up the hood of her jacket and calculated the fastest way to get to the station. The third-year ran across the pedestrian walkway as she heard Eli call out to her, probably worried as to why her friend had suddenly up and left. But she had no time to explain to them right now. She had to find her before the dark clouds did.

* * *

Maki had just made it into her room before the darkness had taken over the sky. She had closed all the curtains, only for the first sound of thunder to crash down. She had ended up at the foot of her bed, her hands over her ears, her head tugged into her knees, shivering in fear and too scared to move. And what made it worse was that she had forgotten to turn on her lights as well as play music loud enough to drown down the sound of hard rain hitting her windowpane and thunder filling the streets. So she sat in the dark, listening to her fear take over her room.

The first time the redhead had ever heard the sound of thunder, she was only six and it was late at night. She had screamed in terror, only for her mother to find the crying girl and hold her until she felt safe again. But as she got older, and her parents became busier, Maki had found a way to soothe herself through a thunderstorm. However, the first-year was alone and she had been too busy thinking about other problems that she didn't remember about the thunder warning.

She just wanted someone to save her from the terror that kept crashing down from the sky. No, she didn't want just anyone; she wanted a _certain_ someone to save her, to find her and make her body stop shaking, for her to tell her that everything will be fine. She wanted…

"Maki-chan!"

The redhead popped her head out from her knees from the sound of her name resonating the empty house. She could've sworn the voice sounded like…

"Maki-chan! Are you in here?!"

Maki wanted to call out, but as the thunder struck down again, the first-year stayed silent, curling into a ball to protect herself.

"Maki-chan! Where are you?!" The voice was starting to sound more panicked as Maki heard the person rummaging through the dark. She hoped they wouldn't think she wasn't here and leave. It was assuring enough for Maki to know that she wasn't alone in the dark mansion. But then silence quickly came and the redhead felt alone again, tensing up from the anticipation of another roll of thunder.

As water started to pool in the redhead's eyes, silence was suddenly taken over by some sort of pop song as someone had placed her headphones over her ears. In surprise, Maki looked up to find the one person she never expected.

Nico was crouched in front of her with a huge smile on her face. Her clothes were soaked and her hair was down as her pigtails had come undone.

Maki didn't know what to do, but stare at the third-year. She had so many questions: how did she know where she lived? How did she get into the house? And why did she come looking for her? But in utter shock, all that came out was "Nico-chan?"

From the way the raven-haired girl flinched, Maki could only guess that she had shouted her sentence since the song was practically blasting in her ears to keep the redhead from hearing what was happening outside.

Nico started talking only to realize halfway through that Maki didn't hear a single word she said by the way her eyebrow rose in confusion. The third-year quickly grabbed a notebook and pen close by and started to write, the younger girl watching patiently.

 _'I knew you lived somewhere around here.'_

 _'So I just looked around.'_

 _'And you left your front door unlocked.'_ Maki felt chagrined by the way Nico was looking at her with disappointment at her clumsy mistake.

 _'Cocoro told me about your fear.'_

 _'So I've come to play hero.'_

Nico only meant for her last sentence to be a joke in order to cheer up the first-year. But Maki felt her heart slowly beat faster as she read the sentence over and over again, tears falling from her eyes in relief. Nico jumped at the unexpected reaction, throwing the notebook and pen in a panic as she started to quickly wipe the falling tears from the redhead's face. Maki felt embarrassed at the fact that her partner had to see her so helpless, but the way Nico was gently trying to keep the tears from rolling down made Maki's heart clench.

Nico wiped the first-year's eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears to keep it from sticking to her face. Maki may have thought she looked uncool, but Nico thought differently: she thought she looked more like the girl Maki always hid from everyone else and that she was probably one of the few people who actually got to see a side of her partner not a lot of people knew about. It made her feel needed; it made her feel happy.

Maki didn't know how to calm her heart down and it wasn't helping that Nico had put her face only inches away from hers, her small hands lingering on her cheek as she held such a charming smile. Maki didn't know what to do so she did the first thing that took over her thoughts.

The redhead had closed the gap between her and her partner, her lips roughly taking Nico's. It wasn't the ideal first kiss, as both of them didn't know what to do and Nico being way too surprised to react. The third-year stared wide-eyed at the younger girl; Maki's eyes tightly shut and her hands gripping Nico's shoulders to keep her steady.

As soon as they had separated, Nico stayed frozen in place, Maki looking at her in embarrassment, her mind filling up with doubt and regret at her action. But then Nico fell onto her back, scaring the first-year.

"Nico-chan?" Maki pulled down the headphones and stared at Nico who was looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry," Nico finally said. "I just wasn't expecting that."

Before the redhead could reply, thunder had struck down, frightening her. Unconsciously, Maki had jumped on to the smaller girl, her head tucked into the nook of Nico's neck. Nico wrapped her arms around her shivering partner to keep her calm.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, listening to the sound of rain, until Nico said, "Maki-chan, I'm sorry." The redhead stopped trembling, bringing her face up to look at the raven-haired girl. "I know I've hurt you, but even if I didn't mean to, I should remember that what I do doesn't just affect me anymore; it affects you too. You're my partner and you always will be. So from now on, I'm putting you first."

Maki stared in astonishment at the older girl who gave her a small grin. Butterflies were dancing in her stomach as Nico started to caress her cheek. The redhead leaned down to place her lips on Nico's again, but this time, it was soft, sweet, and breath taking. The third-year wrapped her arms around the younger girl's neck to bring her in closer, their hearts beating against each other.

It felt as if they couldn't be broken apart. They were sure nothing could. Not even the clash of thunder.

"Maki-chan," Nico breathed against the redhead's lips.

"What?" Maki asked, a little annoyed that Nico suddenly stopped.

"Can I ask you a question?" she replied. Maki nodded, wanting for the conversation to end already. "What did you think of A-Rise's new song that just played?"

Almost immediately, Maki pinched Nico's nose, the third-year flailing from her airway being closed. "Maki-chan…I can't…breathe."

"Good, so maybe you can stop talking," the redhead replied sternly.

Well, at least for the moment.


	10. Chapter 9: We Meet Again

**So I'm going to apologize because this feels late for me (maybe it's the change of time zones? Who knows). But anyway, nothing much to say other than to enjoy it. Hopefully.**

 **See you all next update!**

* * *

Maki quickly stuffed her remaining homework inside her bag and rushed out her bedroom door, stopping for a few seconds when she passed by the mirror to fix herself. She went down the stairs in a rush, almost bumping into her mother at the bottom who was trying to go up.

"Maki, you know not to run in the house," her mother warned as her daughter skidded to a stop in front of the older woman.

"Sorry, Mama," the redhead quickly apologized as she went around her in a hurry. The woman watched her as the usual calm and quiet girl she gave life to was acting like the house was on fire.

She watched curiously as Maki rushed to put on her shoes, but she was having a hard time slipping it on in her hurried state. After a few minutes of the first-year fumbling around to do such a basic task, Maki took a deep breath and started to turn the knob of the front door.

"Don't want to keep Nico-chan waiting, huh?"

Maki jumped instantly, her hand clutching the half-turned handle. She didn't say anything at first as her mother smiled at the stiff girl.

"I, uh…just don't want to be late," Maki said facing the door, not wanting her mother to see the blush that had formed on her cheeks.

She heard her mother hum in reply, knowing fully well the older redhead didn't believe her for one second, but wasn't going to pressure her. "Okay well, be careful on your way to school. Your father and I won't be home till late tonight."

Maki opened the door hastily, but not fast enough as her mother added, "So make sure you and Nico-chan don't stay up too late."

The first-year turned to her mother with a flustered expression, the tips of her ears turning red as the older woman winked at her before making her way up the staircase.

The night of the thunderstorm, Nico had accidentally stayed over since it didn't stop raining till the early morning. Maki had lent her partner clothes to change in to since hers were soaking wet and they had ended up falling asleep on the redhead's bed, Nico wrapping her body around Maki's so the first-year would be able to fall asleep through the roar of thunder. It definitely worked, but the next morning, her parents had rushed into her bedroom, finding the two of them cuddled up under the blanket, their faces only inches apart that their noses slightly touched, and with Nico in one of Maki's hoodies. You could only guess what they thought happened the night before.

Maki could admit that they had kissed a few times that night, but it wasn't like they really did anything passed it. Not like she was going to tell her parents the truth since either way, it was a lose-lose for her.

The first-year walked slowly towards the gate, discreetly trying to fix her hair, but stopped when she saw the figure of Nico standing a few feet from her entranceway, phone in hand as she yawned in drowsiness. Maki could only think of how cute the action was as she made her way towards her partner.

Nico didn't seem to notice the first-year approaching, too busy scrolling through idol news on her phone until Maki loomed over her, trying to see what intrigued her so much.

"Wah!" Nico jumped back in surprise. "M – Maki-chan! I didn't see you coming out."

"That's because your eyes were glued to that," Maki replied, a little vexation in her voice as she pointed to the older girl's phone.

The raven-haired quickly stuffed her phone into her school bag, chuckling nervously. "S – sorry, I was trying to pass the time."

"It's totally fine."

The redhead didn't seem pleased; Nico learned the hard way that Maki didn't appreciate when Nico would go full crazy for idols. She didn't mind listening to Nico every once in a while about idol stuff, but the third-year wasn't about to take advantage of that. She didn't want to make the younger girl feel the way she did ever again since, for Nico, Maki had become more important.

"Maki-chan, don't be like that," Nico said, giving the younger girl a slight grin, but Maki only looked at her with an impassive expression.

"I said it's okay," she replied, twirling a strand of hair as she looked away from Nico.

 _She's so stubborn._

The redhead tensed up as Nico took a few steps closer until she stood right in front of her. Maki tried her best not to glance at the older girl who kept on smiling despite the return of her apathetic expression. "Maki-chan can be such an idiot."

"What did you say?" the first-year asked in an irritated tone, turning to face Nico. But Nico didn't flinch; instead she grabbed the younger girl by her cheeks and pulled her in for a kiss.

Nico's gentle kiss made Maki forget for a split second that they were outside in broad daylight. Upon realization, the redhead pushed Nico's face away; the third-year stumbled backwards before catching herself, looking at her partner with a look of confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to sound infuriated, but the redness in her face told Nico otherwise. "We're outside!"

"I was giving you a good morning kiss," Nico answered casually like it was no big deal that she had kissed her where anyone could see them.

Maki wiped her lips with the back of her hand before saying, "You're unbelievable."

The raven-haired laughed at her partner's flustered state; Nico stood on her tiptoes to kiss the taller girl on the cheek. Maki froze at the contact, not expecting Nico to kiss her again when she had just scolded her. The third-year chuckled at the reaction before saying, "You're so cute."

Nico could see the redness building up on Maki's face before the younger girl briskly walked in the direction of the school, leaving Nico to stand there with a smile on her face: Nico also thought it was fun to push the first-year's buttons.

 _Yeah, she's super cute._

* * *

"Okay, Maki-chan, have fun at school," Nico said frivolously as they stood in front of the stairway where they would part ways until the end of the day.

"Please don't try to act like my mom," Maki sighed. "That's really awkward."

Nico pouted in response as other students passed by them to get to their classes. "Would your mom do this?"

The third-year took a step closer to Maki, leaning in to give the younger girl another kiss. But before she could close the small gap that remained between them, the redhead pushed Nico's face away, hitting the smaller girl's nose in the process.

Nico clutched her red, throbbing nose. "What'd you do that for?" she asked in an aggravated manner.

"S – stop doing that!" Maki demanded, blush quickly forming on her surprised, but dour face. Students had started to take notice of the couple, slowing their pace to inconspicuously watch them. Maki didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, but she was starting to get used to it.

Nico huffed in disappointment before stomping up the staircase, obviously upset. The first-year watched guiltily; she didn't mean to hurt her, but she wasn't about to give everyone else a show so early in the morning.

"Good morning, nya!" Rin quickly jumped onto the unsuspecting Maki, clinging on the older girl's neck and rubbing her cheek against the taller girl's.

"Rin, how many times have I told you not to do that?" the redhead said sternly, trying to pry Rin's arms from her neck.

Rin frowned, as she made no effort to remove herself from her friend. "Aw, why are you so grumpy in the morning? Did Nico-chan do something; is that why you punched her, nya?"

Maki jolted, ripping Rin's arms that were held tightly around her wit no effort. "I didn't punch her!" she objected, the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

The orange-haired looked at her in confusion. "It looked a lot like you – "

"I didn't; end of conversation," Maki interrupted, trying to hide her embarrassment from her friend.

Rin seemed content with the abrupt ending, shrugging her shoulders as she gave the redhead her usual wide smile. "Then let's get going to class, nya," she suggested, turning towards the direction of their classroom.

"Huh? Where's Hanayo?" Maki asked, realizing the absence of her other friend.

"She said something came up so she'll be coming later," the orange-haired replied. She didn't seem too concerned about it, which meant that it wasn't anything too big for worry.

"Did she say what it is?" the redhead asked, following behind Rin to their classroom.

Rin shrugged her shoulders while saying, "Nah, but I'm sure she'll tell us when she gets here, nya."

Maki hummed in reply before whispering, "I hope it's not anything serious."

The younger girl chuckled as they stepped into the half-filled room, the sound of chatter becoming increasingly loud. The redhead looked at her giggling friend puzzlement; she didn't think she said anything funny.

Realizing her friend's confused expression, Rin said, "I think Nico-chan is rubbing off on you. You seem more interested in things, nya."

Redness took over Maki's face as she turned her head away from the orange-haired girl. Rin simply chuckled again while Maki made her way to her seat, sitting herself down; she quickly turned to the window, wanting to hide her flustered state. Without thinking, she looked up into the third-year classrooms, finding the raven-haired fairly quickly since she conveniently had a window seat too.

Nico's head laid on her desk, probably trying to catch up on more sleep before classes started. Maki kept herself from laughing as she grabbed her phone from her bag, heading straight to her messages and opening her conversation with the raven-haired.

 _'Stop sleeping. You're being a bad influence.'_

Maki hit send and looked across the courtyard, watching as Nico popped her head up when she received the text. The smaller girl opened her phone and narrowed her eyes when she finished reading it. Nico typed away, hitting send as quickly as possible. As soon as she was done, she looked over to the first-year classrooms, glaring at the redhead.

 _'Well, someone wanted to meet up an hour earlier -.-"_

Maki flinched; the older girl was blaming her when she was the one who said she wanted to walk with Maki to school. The redhead typed in annoyance, sending her text without reading over it.

 _'You didn't have to agree to meet me so early.'_

Before she could even close her phone, Nico texted back. _'Oh, so it's my fault?'_

Maki clenched her teeth in irritation. She could see Rin watching in concern as the redhead pressed the letters on her phone with so much force that she was sure she was close to breaking it.

But in the middle of her message, the raven-haired had sent another message. In surprise, Maki decided see what else her partner had to complain about, but the redhead raised an eyebrow in confusion when it was the complete opposite of what she was expecting.

 _'I'm sorry, Maki-chan. I'm just being an ill-tempered brat and you should be treated better. I hope you can forgive me for my small fuse box of a temper.'_

The first-year read it a few more times before looking over to Nico's classroom, sighing when she realized the source of such a weirdly written text message.

Nozomi had somehow grabbed the raven-haired girl's phone; clutching it in one hand while her other hand was extended out to keep Nico away, stopping her from taking back her device. Nico's hands flailed in determination as her childhood friend was pushing her head back, the purple-haired smiling at Nico's failed attempt.

Maki shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe they were her seniors; they may not be the best representations though, but they were her only representations.

"Good morning, Kayochin!" she heard Rin shout. Turning away from the window, she found Hanayo standing at the doorway, a look of trouble on her face and it seemed the orange-haired could see it too. "What's wrong, nya?"

Hanayo didn't say anything as she walked towards her desk, sitting herself down in nervousness. Maki raised an eyebrow before following Rin towards their friend's seat.

"Kayochin, did something happen, nya?" Rin asked, leaning on the small desk to be face-to-face with her childhood friend.

Hanayo muttered something that neither Maki nor Rin could hear.

"What happened?" Maki said, hoping it would make the brown-haired will repeat herself.

"…me," they heard her say under her breath.

"Huh? What about you, nya?" the orange-haired said, trying to look Hanayo in the eyes.

"Help me," she said a little louder, making both of her friends scrunch their eyebrows in confusion.

"Help you?" the redhead perplexed.

Without any warning, Hanayo jumped onto the taller girl, gripping onto Maki's shoulders in anxiousness. The redhead stared at her friend with wide-eyes, completely baffled by the brown-haired girl's actions.

"Help me!" she begged her friend, Rin closely watching with worry.

Maki sighed. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

"So, why are we here?" Nico asked, pouting in boredom as she slouched into her chair.

"Because my friend needs help," Maki told her for probably the 30th time already. She was starting to sound like a recording machine, but this usually happened when she talked with Nico.

"Okay…" Nico replied. "Then I have another question."

"What is it?" the redhead said, popping a fry into her mouth.

Nico stood up straight and pointed to the order counter with annoyance. "Why did you invite them?"

Maki looked over to see Eli and Nozomi still standing in line, Eli having a hard time trying to figure out what to order while Nozomi simply giggled at her partner, not being much help on the decision-making.

"Because they can help," the first-year told her nonchalantly. "Just asking you for advice will get us nowhere."

Maki could see from the corner of her eye that Nico was glaring at her before she huffed in rage, tightly crossing her arms across her chest as she sunk into the chair as much as she could.

"Sorry, we're late, nya."

Maki looked over to find Rin with Hanayo in hand, still looking as nervous as she did the whole day. After their small morning conversation, Hanayo didn't say much after, wanting to talk about what was bothering her when they had enough time. Her only request was to have Nico come along, much to Maki's surprise since they never really interacted as much. But the redhead thought it best to ask the other two third-years to come along, afraid that her partner wasn't going to live up to her senior expectation that Hanayo probably had for her.

Rin and Hanayo sat down across the life partners, the brown-haired girl slightly trembling, only becoming more apparent in agitation when Eli and Nozomi made their way to the table.

"So, you must be Hanayo," Nozomi said with a smile, sitting down next to her as Eli sat next to the still slumped Nico. "You're very cute."

Hanayo jumped in surprise as Rin chimed in, "I know, right? Kayochin is the cutest, nya!"

Maki groaned, hoping her two friends won't embarrass themselves in front of the Student Council leaders. But when Nozomi replied with a giggle, the redhead's worry started to slowly subside.

"So let's get down this meeting going," Nico demanded, slamming her palms onto the table, making the cups shake on impact. And this is why Maki invited the other two seniors.

"Don't be so impatient, Nico," Eli replied in her Student Council like voice. It would've seemed intimidating if it weren't for the fact that she was nibbling on a fry like a baby without teeth. However, Nico cringed at her tone, sitting herself back down without arguing. Maki thought she should ask the blonde for advice on how to mute Nico like that.

Hanayo fidgeted in her seat as the other five watched her intently, waiting for the brown-haired girl to say what has been bothering her all day. But after a few more minutes of nothing, Nico jumped out of her chair, hissing, "Spit it out already!"

The brown-haired jolted; in fear of the small third-year, she quickly said, "Igotmyletter" before cowering away from Nico, leaning into Rin for protection. It took the rest of the table to completely understand what Hanayo actually said.

Nozomi was the first to speak up, saying with a smile, "Congratulations."

"T – thanks," she replied weakly.

"What's the problem then?" Eli asked before the raven-haired girl could, obviously still impatient.

Hanayo became even more nervous; the fact that the Student Council was there was already nerve-wrecking enough for her, but now she was talking to the first-year.

Rin took notice of her childhood friend's anxiousness. "Kayochin, it's okay to tell us. We're here to help you. And if we can't solve it, I'll stay by your side, nya!" she said with glee in her voice, pointing to her chest like Hanayo's knight in shining armor.

"Rin-chan…"

Maki unconsciously looked over at Nico, not knowing what kind of reaction to expect from her partner. But she was too busy pouting in her seat to even take notice of the interaction between Rin and Hanayo. The redhead glared in irritation before realizing that she was getting upset for no reason; what kind of reaction did Maki want from her?

The purple-haired giggled again, paying full attention to the childhood friends. "See, Nicocchi," Nozomi started, turning to the smaller girl. "This is how you treat your childhood friend."

Nico stuck her tongue out at the older girl while Maki pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief. Her partner was a child.

"Stop pouting," Nozomi said in cheerfully. "Maki-chan won't kiss such a scrunched up face."

Maki almost jumped in her seat, holding the bottom of the chair to keep her reaction at a minimum. Everybody else on the table seemed to have become interested in the conversation when the word "kiss" came up.

"Who said she wouldn't?" Nico retorted, standing up from her chair and puffing out her chest to seem frightening.

Nozomi put a hand over her mouth, smiling smugly behind it. "Oh-ho, have you two kissed already?" she asked, sending a wink over at Maki who's eyes widened in embarrassment.

Nico crossed her arms and smirked satisfactorily. "Well, as a matter of fact, Maki-CHAN – "

The third-year hunched over the table in pain, tightly clamping her teeth to keep from screaming aloud. Keeping her apathetic expression, Maki had crushed Nico's foot with her own under the table, away from everybody's view, in order to stop her partner from talking. She didn't want anyone to know they kissed, or more like she didn't want them to know she initiated it.

The four other girls looked at Nico in confusion, wondering why she had abruptly stopped speaking and why she looked like a tire just ran over her foot (it pretty much felt like that for the raven-haired).

"Are you okay, nya?" Rin asked, a look of concern on her face.

"She's fine," Maki replied for her partner, taking her foot off of the smaller girl's who clenched her hands into fists to alleviate the pain a little.

The table seemed content with Maki's answer, but looking over to Nozomi, the redhead could see the older girl smiling at her, a smile that sent shivers down the first-year's spine. It was the smile that said Nozomi knew more than what was being said out loud; without thinking, Maki turned away.

 _Dammit…I just gave myself away._

"What's the problem, Hanayo?" Eli asked warmly, all her authoritative attitude gone, probably feeling better after finishing her fries.

"W – well…I'm just a bit scared of w – what's going to happen…" the brown-haired admitted, sitting up in her chair while she twiddled with her fingers.

"Everyone's worried in the beginning," Eli assured her. "That's nothing to be ashamed of."

The blonde smiled at Hanayo to relax the anxious first-year. Maki silently wished Nico could act more of a senior like her friend. Instead, the raven-haired was sitting on her seat, tapping her non-injured foot rapidly.

"But what if…is doesn't go right?" the brown-haired asked, still a little apprehensive at the idea of it all.

Nozomi spoke up this time, saying, "If the person is your perfect match, don't you think things will fall into place eventually?" She looked over at Nico and Maki with that same smile she had on earlier, she continued: "Just take this mess of a couple for example."

"Take that back!" Nico yelled, hopping onto her chair to put her face in close proximity to Nozomi's, who kept on smiling cheerfully despite the growling snare on the smaller girl's face.

Eli sighed; Maki could only imagine how much the president had to deal with this everyday. "Nozomi, that wasn't very nice," she scolded, looking over at her partner with a look of disapproval.

"Ah, you're right," was all she said, not continuing to apologize to her friend.

"Nico, sit back down, you're starting to attract attention," the blonde informed her, looking around at the restaurant to see some people taking notice of the schoolgirls.

Nico jumped off her chair without complaint, grumbling under her breath. The redhead felt a little happy that her partner tried to defend their relationship, but she kept herself from smiling.

"So, Kayochin," Rin said happily, smiling widely at her childhood friend. "Will you meet your partner now, nya?"

Hanayo giggled for the first time all day that the whole table sat up straight to pay close attention to the first-year. "I think I'm ready," she replied. "I'll meet my partner."

Turning to the rest of the table, she said, "Thank you for your time."

"Elichi, can we keep her?" Nozomi asked, pulling in the brown-haired girl for a hug. "She can replace Nicocchi."

Nico was about to jump out of her chair, yet again, but Maki pushed down on her shoulder with force to keep her in her seat. Eli, taking notice of the trouble Nozomi was trying to cause, quickly got up from her chair and lifted her partner's out of hers.

"We'll be leaving first," the blonde said, grabbing hold of Nozomi's hand like it was nothing. Without saying anymore, she dashed off in the fear that if she stayed any longer, her partner would agitate Nico even more.

"We have to leave too, nya," Rin told Maki, standing up from her seat, Hanayo following her lead. "We'll see you tomorrow!"

"Thank you, Maki-chan," Hanayo added before the childhood friends made their way to the exit, leaving Maki with a growling Nico.

Maki loosened her grip on her partner, but didn't let her hand fall, leaving it on Nico's tense shoulder. Maki could feel the annoyance bubbling in Nico just by the way her shoulders moved with her heavy breathing. It wasn't until the smaller girl cruelly shoved the redhead's hand off of her did she realize how upset she really was. Thinking back on it, Maki had a feeling she's been feeling like this way before Nozomi started teasing her. The first-year started to feel bad that she didn't see it sooner.

"Nico-chan – "

"What?" she hissed. Maki flinched, all feelings of guilt quickly fading.

"Why are you acting like somebody broke one of your idol toys?" Maki replied, trying to keep her irritation hidden.

Nico clenched her teeth. "It's not a _toy_ , it's merchandise."

The redhead looked at her with disinterested eyes while saying, "Does that matter right now?"

"No," she huffed, turning away from Maki; agreeing with the redhead wasn't always fun.

"What's wrong, Nico-chan?" the first-year sighed.

"Nothing," she spat out. Maki hated how much pride her partner held, but yet again, she wasn't one to talk. At least Nico could say how she truly feels when she felt like it.

Maki raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out the hidden meaning behind Nico's passive aggressive attitude. She didn't have a complete idea until the smaller girl stuck out her bottom lip in a pout, staring straight ahead.

"Nico-chan, are you still pissed off that I pushed you away?"

Almost instantly, Nico turned to her partner, making Maki jolt at the sudden movement. "What do _you_ think?" she snared, her red eyes glaring into purple ones.

"I think you're being a child," Maki replied coldly. Nico waved her off as if she didn't care anymore. It bugged the redhead that the third-year was just going to throw the situation under the bus; if they couldn't even deal with this petty argument, what more when worse problems come around?

Grunting in annoyance, Maki pulled Nico up from her seat, the raven-haired gasping in surprise, but not resisting as she let the first-year pull her out the door. The redhead led her down the sidewalk, not really knowing where she was going, but not wanting to slow her pace since she felt Nico would just complain more if she did.

Maki took a turn, realizing she was heading straight for the playground Nico took her siblings that one day. Stopping as soon as she felt there would be no one around, the redhead let go of her partner and turned to face her.

"What was that all about?" Nico asked; Maki could tell she wasn't really mad anymore, but she wanted to keep acting like she wasn't slightly pleased that Maki dragged her to an empty park.

"You want to kiss me so badly, do it right here," Maki commanded; she stopped herself from flinching at her tone of voice.

"R – right here?" Nico asked in shock. The redhead rolled her eyes; she was upset all day and now she's getting all flustered when Maki gives her the opportunity.

"If you don't want to, I can just go – "

"No!" Nico jumped a foot closer to the first-year, grabbing her wrists with both of her hands to stop Maki from moving. "I'll d – do it; just give me a minute."

"Why are you so nervous? You kissed me like it was nothing this morning," Maki reminded her, balling her hands into fists to keep herself from shivering at Nico's touch.

Nico chuckled weakly as she replayed that scene in her head. "It was just a spontaneous thing; you demanding for a kiss is a different story."

Maki's cheeks quickly turn red from the realization that she technically did demand Nico to kiss her. The redhead turned her head to the side, trying not to look at the red eyes that were staring at her.

"J – just hurry up," she muttered.

Nico smiled, slowly pulling the first-year down as she started to stand on her tiptoes to meet her halfway. The closer they were getting, the more the smell of strawberries filled the air; Maki felt that if she didn't have Nico's lips soon, she might just burst. She could feel Nico's breath hitting her skin that it sent tingles down her spine. Nico couldn't stop staring into Maki's amethyst eyes, wondering how they were sparkling so much despite the fact that they stood under the shade of a tree.

Their noses touched, their eyes began to close, both their hearts beating faster. It wasn't their first kiss nor their second or their third, but they felt more nervous than they did from all the other times. Maybe it was the atmosphere: how the sun slowly set while the wind gently blew passed them. Or maybe it was from how much they both wanted it at this moment. Whatever it was, it was driving them crazy. Their lips were so close, yet so far with only a few inches between them. Closing in without any hurry, Nico felt Maki's lips slightly touching hers –

"Oh, I apologize."

They halted, eyes shooting open at the sound of another voice that wasn't either of theirs. They tore away from each other and turned to the other person, but as soon as they saw the figure standing before them, Nico's breath hitched.

"K – Kira-san!"

Tsubasa stood there with a smile. She was wearing her school uniform, which meant that she had just let UTX and was probably on her way home. But out of all places and all times to be passing this one particular playground, it had to be now.

"Good afternoon, Yazawa-san, Nishikino-san," she replied, turning to each one respectively.

Maki hummed in acknowledgement, upset that she had interrupted them. It was like someone just wanted to ruin her day as it was ending.

"Kira-san," Nico said nervously, "what are you doing here?"

"Just passing by," Tsubasa told her. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

Nico laughed anxiously. Maki turned to her partner, hoping she wouldn't see that star-strucked face of hers. But as she stared at Nico for a little longer, the redhead realized that Nico's nervousness isn't the same admiring look she had last time, it was more like she was scared. It confused Maki; why would Nico be scared of Tsubasa?

"Yazawa-san," Tsubasa started, turning to the third-year with her charming smile. "Since I ran into you here, would you like to give me your answer now?"

"Answer?" Maki repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Tsubasa looked at the redhead with surprise, not realizing that she was kept out of the loop. "Yazawa-san didn't tell you?"

"No," was all Maki said as she glared at the nervous raven-haired beside her. Nico tried to keep a smile on her face, but the daggers Maki was sending her was too much to keep up the act.

"What is she talking about, Nico-chan?" Maki asked sternly.

Nico let out a weak chuckle before saying, "There's something I have to tell you."

* * *

 **Sorry if there are any typos. I didn't have to time to look over it. I'll fix 'em later.**


	11. Chapter 10: Deal

**Am I a dork for thinking how cool it is that the reviews ended at 123?**

 **Anyway, wrote this one fairly quickly cause I got a bit excited. So enjoy! And all the reviews are appreciated.**

 **Thanks for sticking around. See you guys next chapter!**

* * *

"There's something I have to tell you."

"Okay, I'm waiting," the redhead replied, tapping her foot in impatience.

Nico gulped, realizing the situation she was placed in. She stared at the redhead, whose eyes were glaring right into her own as her foot tapping started to pick up speed.

The third-year opened her mouth, but before words made its way out, a shout was being heard from across the playground.

"Tsubasa-chan! Sorry I'm late!"

The three girls turned to watch as the figure made its way to where they stood, one of her arms waving in the air. She was wearing the same uniform as Nico and Maki, her red ribbon slightly coming undone from her running. As soon as she stood beside Tsubasa, she hunched over her knees, sweating and out of breath.

"Sorry I'm late," she repeated in between her heavy breathing. "I got stuck at school cause Umi-chan wouldn't let me leave till I finished my make-up work."

"It's fine," Tsubasa happily replied. "I thought you finished that work last night."

The girl chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head. "I…forgot it," she admitted.

Tsubasa sighed in disbelief. "I told you were would forget it," she said, slightly smiling at the girl in front of her.

"I know, you're always right," the girl laughed.

Nico and Maki watched, their eyebrows raised, completely at a loss on how to act. Tsubasa and the other girl simply smiled at each other, forgetting that the two other girls were even there anymore until Nico discreetly coughed to get their attention.

The ginger-haired girl turned first, her face quickly lighting up as her eyes caught hold of Maki.

"Ahhhhh! Tsubasa-chan! That's – that's – that's – "

"Yeah, it's – "

Before either of them could finish their sentences, the girl ran up, stopping on her toes once she was in close proximity with the redhead, grabbing on her hands to put it in between both of hers, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Maki stared at her in complete astonishment, unable to push the girl away. Nico did a double take, her face twisted as if she'd just been slapped in the face.

"You're Nishikino Maki!" the girl exclaimed, slightly jumping on the balls of her feet. Maki meant to say words, but all that came out were sounds. "I listen to your performances; I'm your number one fan." Nico flinched. "Or well, I've only started listening last year when Tsubasa-chan introduced me to you. So I guess you can say I'm just a…huge fan? It's so exciting to finally meet you. Although, we go to the same school," she chuckled. "I'm sure you're always busy so I never really had the chance to meet you. But if I was a huge fan, wouldn't I die if I never met you?" She started tapping her temple in thought with one of her hands.

"Honoka," Tsubasa started, grabbing the girl's attention. "You're overwhelming her."

Honoka turned back to realize how tense and red the first-year was, still trying to process the fact that she was holding her hand so tightly.

"Ah, I'm so sorry," she giggled nervously. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Maki felt her grip loosen, but before Honoka could actually let go, Nico smacked her hand away, her teeth clenched and her red eyes glaring at the second-year.

The ginger-haired flinched, taking a good look at the smaller girl before going, "Ahhh!" She pointed at her in surprise.

Nico's eyes widened at the unexpected reaction. "W – what?" she asked.

"You're Yazawa Nico," the second-year replied, taking a step closer to her. "Tsubasa-chan told me you're one of her biggest fans and that she offered you to become an idol." Maki jerked. "Did you say yes? I think you'd make a great idol."

Maki glared at the raven-haired as Nico tried to smile at her obviously angered partner.

 _What a way to find out._

"Honoka…" the idol grabbed the ginger-haired's wrist, pulling her away from the tense atmosphere surrounding Nico and Maki. "Let's slow down on our knowledge of people's lives."

"Ah, I'm sorry," she chuckled. "I got carried away again in excitement."

Tsubasa giggled at the ditzy girl. "I know; that's what I like about you."

Nico and Maki broke the tension, both turning their attention to the other two girls. The redhead understood the situation faster than her partner, but Nico was the one who spoke up, who was way more shocked than Maki was.

"Wait…you're – you're – "

Honoka and Tsubasa turned back to the stuttering raven-haired, waiting for her to finish her sentence, but when it was apparent she wasn't going to end soon, the ginger-haired introduced herself for the first time.

"I'm Kousaka Honoka," she smiled, using her free hand to point to her chest. "Second-year at Otonokizaka High. And I'm Tsubasa-chan's partner."

Nico slack-jawed as Maki decided to twirl her hair.

"But – but _you_ – " Nico looked at Tsubasa, " – you're not wearing a bracelet." Nico pointed at her own for emphasis.

The idol giggled in realization that she was indeed not wearing it. She quickly rummaged through her school bag, taking out a silver bracelet and showing it to Nico and Maki. Honoka immediately raised her left arm to show that she was wearing one, smiling at the two girls.

"I don't always wear it because I'm an idol," Tsubasa explained as she clipped the bracelet onto her wrist. "If admirers found out I already met my partner, we would lose fans. So I only put it on in private; I take it off during interviews and performances which is probably why you never saw it."

The raven-haired stared, not knowing what to say. Maki raised an eyebrow as she watched her partner contemplate that her favorite idol already had someone. But it's not like Nico didn't met hers. Her partner was, for one thing, _standing_ _right there_. It frustrated the redhead that she huffed loud enough for it to reach Nico's ears.

"What's wrong, Maki-chan?" the third-year asked softly, turning to her partner.

Maki just glared at her, still upset that Nico kept the fact that she had a shot at the idol industry from her. Shouldn't she be the first to know as her partner?

Nico chuckled weakly, remembering that the redhead was mad at her. "Maki-chan – "

"I don't want to hear it," Maki cut her off coldly, turning her head away from the smaller girl. Nico was taken aback as Honoka and Tsubasa watched uncomfortably.

Silence quickly took over, all four of them not knowing what to say with either couple still in their presence. Tsubasa was the first to break it: "Yazawa-san, is that a yes to giving it a try?"

Honoka nodded rapidly, her support being obvious from the beginning. Nico turned to see if her partner had anything to say, but with Maki's only reaction being her aloof expression as she refused to look at her, the raven-haired turned back to the idol.

"I…uh – "

Before she could hear an answer, knowing full well what it was going to be, Maki started to walk away from the scene. She didn't really understand why her feet were moving under her, but the redhead didn't have any urge to stop. Maki kept going without looking back, the remorseful red eyes watching her.

* * *

Nico laid her head on her desk, hot wind blowing through the window beside her. It was definitely summer. The raven-haired groaned at the heat, peeking through the window to the first-year's classrooms. She found Maki sitting at her desk, talking to Rin and Hanayo, slightly smiling at whatever Rin said. But that smile instantly disappeared when she glanced out the window, finding Nico watching her.

The raven-haired hastily turned away to find Nozomi and Eli standing over her.

"Nico, why are you hiding from Maki?" the blonde asked.

"I'm not," Nico quickly replied, trying to hide the sound of nervousness, but she knew she failed when Nozomi smirked.

"Did Nicocchi mess up again?"

"No!" she objected, sitting up and slamming a fist onto the table. She flinched from the pain, not expecting to have hit the desk that hard.

Nozomi sat on her seat as Eli took the seat in front of Nico since classes didn't start for another 30 minutes. "Then why do you look stressed?" Eli asked, staring at the dark circles around the smaller girl's eyes.

"I – I've just been busy," Nico lied, turning her face away from her friends.

"With what? Thinking about your mistake?" the purple-haired mocked.

But Nico took the question seriously as she sighed. "Yes," she admitted sadly, watching the redhead avoid making eye contact with her again.

Eli and Nozomi stayed quiet, both a little shocked that Nico just admitted she was at fault for a situation, which meant one thing that the raven-haired probably didn't know yet: she cared.

"Say, Nicocchi," Nozomi said soothingly; Nico turned to look at her. "Why don't you tell us what's wrong? We can help."

"Yeah, Nico, we're your friends," Eli added.

Nico sighed before asking, "Have any of you kept a pretty big secret from each other at one point in your relationship?"

Both girls thought about it for a second, before Nozomi said, "Well, yes, we both have done that."

"Then what did you do when you realized you shouldn't have kept it a secret?" Nico continued.

"Well, we first apologized," Eli replied. "But of course, the other didn't fully get over it in the beginning. So we did what we thought was best."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "And what was that?"

Nozomi giggled. "We promised to communicate better and to trust each other. And that's when we realized how dumb it was to have not said anything in the first place. Communication is everything, don't you think?"

Nico hummed in agreement, realizing how stupid it was to have not said anything to her partner. She remembered how bad she initially felt when Maki didn't tell her about her district competition; Maki must be feeling the same way right now.

"So Maki is mad because you kept something from her?" Eli asked, snapping Nico out of her thoughts.

"Yeah," Nico replied, guilt building even more when she stared at the redhead talking to her two friends, slightly smiling along with them.

Eli and Nozomi quietly watched the gloomy eyes watch Maki before they turned to each other. Nozomi smiled at Eli, surprising her for a moment until she realized what that grin meant: she formulated a plan. The blonde shook her head, a smile on her face; leave it to her partner to want to fix problems. But she wouldn't stop her; it was something she silently loved about her.

"Nico, why don't you hang out with me after school?" Eli suggested.

Nico turned to her in surprise. "Just you and me?" she asked, pointing back and forth between her and the taller girl.

Eli nodded with a smile on her face. "Just you and me. It'll make you feel better. I'll treat you to something sweet."

"S – sure," Nico agreed, mostly because she'd be getting sweets for free.

"Okay, then we'll meet later," the blonde concluded as she got up from the seat and started walking to her own, a few more minutes left till the warning bell.

"What about you, Nozomi?" the raven-haired asked her friend.

"Oh, don't worry about me," she smiled, as she discreetly looked passed Nico to the first-year's classroom. "I have other plans."

* * *

"Maki-chan, nya! Nozomi-chan wants to see you!"

Maki looked at her orange-haired friend with confusion. "Why would Nozomi want to see me?" she asked, neatly packing the books she needed into her school bag.

Rin shrugged before saying, "She said its urgent, nya."

The redhead sighed, as she slung her bag over her shoulder, slowly walking passed her friend. "Well, tell her I'm busy."

"I don't think you can escape that easily."

Maki had opened the sliding door to find the purple-haired standing there with a smile on her face, no escape in sight.

"Walk with me to the station, Maki-chan," Nozomi practically demanded. Her smile scared the first-year, mostly because she knew that there was a certain reason behind the invitation.

Maki just nodded before following the older girl down the hall and off the school grounds without either saying another word. As they made it out the gate, waiting for the pedestrian light to turn green, Maki glanced over at Nozomi. The redhead didn't mind the silence since she wasn't ready for whatever it was Nozomi wanted from her. But as if she was reading her mind (which wouldn't surprise the redhead at all), the third-year broke the quiet.

"So how was your day?" she asked as if they were acquaintances meeting for the first time.

"Cut the small talk," Maki firmly said. "Why did you want to walk with me? Don't you always go home with Eli?"

The third-year laughed. "What's so wrong with wanting to walk with you?" she asked innocently.

Maki kept her mouth shut to keep herself from growling at the older girl. Even if Nozomi was a nuisance when she acted like this, she was still the redhead's senior.

"If that's the only reason, I'm going to assume we're not talking," the first-year pointed out, finding a flaw in Nozomi's choice of words.

The older girl pouted. "But I want to talk to you," she whined.

"About what?" Maki asked, ignoring the third-year's child-like tone.

"About Nicocchi," Nozomi said in seriousness, all signs of messing around gone that it made Maki jolt in surprise.

"W – what about her?" Maki asked, trying not to look at Nozomi as they crossed the street, the third-year a few steps ahead.

Nozomi didn't say anything at first as they kept walking forward, making Maki's uneasiness grow. But then she suddenly stopped and the redhead followed her lead. She watched the rise and fall of Nozomi's breathing from her back as if she was getting nervous until the purple-haired turned to her, a look of concern on her face.

Maki wanted to ask why she looked so upset and sad, but before she could, Nozomi asked, "You know about Nicocchi's dream, don't you?"

The first-year's eyes widened at the choice of topic as she said, "Yes, I do."

"And I'm sure you know why she wants to be an idol so badly."

Maki nodded.

"You and Nicocchi have been partners going on 3 months now," Nozomi pointed out. "So I'm sure there are things you don't know about each other yet. Nicocchi and I have known each other since we were 5 and there are things kids can easily say that we can't, or more like don't, say anymore."

"Where is this going?" Maki asked; despite the stability in her voice, she was actually shaking on the inside.

Nozomi grinned; she had the redhead interested. "What I'm trying to say is: don't be so mad at Nicocchi."

"Why shouldn't I be mad?" Maki huffed, crossing her arms.

"Because you didn't tell her about your competition," the purple-haired reminded her.

"Ueh!"

Nozomi smiled triumphantly. "And…Nicocchi has her reasons for doing what she does. I know she can be a bit much every once in a while – "

"That's funny coming from you," the first-year interrupted. Nozomi looked at her with an unamused expression. "Sorry, please continue."

"Nicocchi cares about you," the purple-haired concluded.

Maki's heart began to pick up speed by just listening to Nozomi's last words. "Is – is that so?" she said, trying to not look so delighted.

The third-year hummed in response. "Even if it seems like she's being selfish, she actually thinks about other people before herself. I know it was thoughtless of her not to mention such a big thing like becoming an idol. But you have to take into consideration that she didn't tell you because she was thinking about you."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Maki asked, completely confused by the contradiction.

Nozomi looked up at the cloudless, blue sky above them. "Nicocchi doesn't know if she wants to take this opportunity."

"What? But yesterday – "

"Did you actually hear her say yes?" Nozomi cut in, looking straight at the first-year.

Maki jumped; she didn't hear anything because she left before anything was said. So technically she didn't hear Nico say yes, but why wouldn't she? It was her dream and everyone who knew her knew just how much she wanted it.

"Well – I, uh…" Nozomi raised an eyebrow. "No, I didn't," Maki finished, sighing at the thought of it all.

Nozomi grinned at her honesty. "She didn't take it, at least, not yet. Kira Tsubasa gave her more time to think about it."

"Why didn't she just say yes then?" The redhead started to feel frustrated for no apparent reason she could think of.

The purple-haired giggled, surprising Maki. "Like I said, she was thinking about you."

Maki's jaw tightened. "This is her dream. This is what she wants. She doesn't need to wait around for me to say something."

"But she is. You're her partner, that means whatever she does also affects you," the third-year replied. Maki stopped herself from responding, remembering that those were the same words Nico said to her. That was the night Nico said she was putting the first-year first.

Nozomi took advantage of Maki's silence. "We're young; we want to reach our goals and achieve our dreams. But when we meet our partners, everything changes. It's not just all about you anymore and a lot of people don't find that out till a bigger problem than this comes around. The relationship struggles and the couple become unhappy for a time. I know this problem seems bad and you have a right to be upset, but you should think yourself lucky to be partnered with Nicocchi. She could've just taken it without talking to you first."

The redhead didn't respond immediately, her mind wandering. It's true she felt upset with the whole situation when it could've been avoided, but Nico had her reasons just like Maki did.

"And she'll accept it, right?" Maki finally asked, worry slowly growing inside her.

"I don't know," Nozomi grinned, looking passed the redhead. "You tell me."

Maki turned to see what the older girl was looking at, her heart jumping when she saw Nico and Eli walking towards them. The raven-haired was laughing until her eyes met Maki's; she jolted and half hid behind the taller girl before trying to make a run for it. The blonde sighed, grabbing onto the smaller girl's collar to keep her from going anywhere. Maki and Nozomi watched, as it looked like Eli was scolding Nico, but it was too hard to hear when they were so far away.

"Don't make Nicocchi wait too long," Nozomi said with a smirk as she stood next to the redhead. Maki didn't know if that was supposed to be some sort of comedic relief, but her words made the redhead's feet move toward the nervous raven-haired girl.

* * *

Nico didn't know how she got into this situation, or she did, but it didn't really explain why she was being violently dragged by the arm down the sidewalk of Maki's neighborhood. It wasn't helping that the redhead didn't say anything, but the third-year wasn't going to protest, not with the way Maki looked at her with fire-filled eyes. Who in their right mind would object to her when she looked so damn scary?

"Maki-chan, whe – where are we going?" Nico said, hoping she wouldn't get upset.

But instead the first-year stayed silent, her grip tightening around Nico's aching wrist. When Nico slightly flinched, she felt Maki's hand loosen enough to stop it from hurting. But it didn't stop her from pulling on it like Nico was a dog and her arm was the leash.

As soon as they made it to Maki's house (Nico still couldn't process how big it was), the taller girl pushed passed the gate and unlocked the front door without letting go of the older girl. Neither said anything as Maki sped down the hallway, a few maids curiously watching them pass by, and into her studio. She finally let go when they stood by her grand piano.

"Whoa…" Nico muttered, staring at the sleek, black instrument. "This is yours?"

Maki nodded, standing beside her partner as she also silently admired it. It was the first time she actually brought someone into her studio other than her parents. Not even the maids went in; Maki cleaned the room herself.

"It's so pretty," the smaller girl complimented.

The first-year sat down on the piano bench, tucking her hair behind her ear. She heard Nico giggle.

"What's so funny?"

Nico smiled at her. "The tips of your ears are red."

Maki quickly touched it, feeling the heat that had built. She quickly untucked her hair to hide it, but Nico tucked it back in just like she did the night of the thunderstorm. The first-year looked at her partner, Nico's face not far from hers as the smaller girl smiled at her.

"You – you're too close," Maki informed Nico, her face starting to turn bright red. Nico apologized, a little sadness in her voice as she took a few steps back to widen the distance.

Maki took a deep breath before opening the fallboard. Nico's face brightened up at the sight as she asked, "Are you going to play for me?"

"No," the redhead quickly replied.

"Oh."

"You're going to sing for me."

"What…?"

Maki looked at the flustered Nico as she tugged at the hem of her pink cardigan. Although Nico was looking at the ground, the first-year could see her cheeks going red.

"What do I sing?" Nico asked shyly.

"I'm sure you'll know this one," Maki replied, placing her fingers on the keyboard.

Nico had no idea what she meant, but as soon as Maki started playing, a familiar song rang in her ears. It was Nico's favorite song, something she probably played for her high-strung partner for a thousand times already.

As soon as Maki hit the part where the singing should've started, she glanced at Nico, wondering why the smaller girl hadn't sung along to it. She knew the words by heart; it shouldn't have been that hard for her to sing. But taking a good look at her quiet partner, Maki stopped playing and jumped off the bench towards Nico.

"Why are you crying?" Maki asked nervously, desperately trying to wipe Nico's falling tears from her face.

Nico laughed, grabbing hold of Maki's wrists and removing it from her face. Maki stopped in surprise and looked down at the crying, but smiling third-year.

"I thought you hated that song," Nico sniffed.

"I – I don't particularly dislike it," the redhead muttered, looking away.

Nico chuckled, making Maki face her again. The third-year rested her forehead against hers, slowly releasing her hands off of Maki's wrists and moving them towards her hands, intertwining their fingers together.

"You're not very honest, Maki-chan," Nico sighed.

"The same goes for you," Maki argued back.

"Yeah, we're just two very stupid people," the third-year admitted.

Maki grinned. "Maybe. But I guess that means we're right for each other." The smaller girl stared wide-eyed. "I – I mean because we're a perfect match, right?" the younger girl continued, trying to cover up her previous statement.

Nico pouted before kissing the tip of Maki's nose. "Yeah, you're right."

The redhead looked down at Nico, trying to swallow her pride and embarrassment to say what she needed to say, to say what Nico needed to hear.

"Nico-chan, I - I think you should take that offer," Maki started. Nico looked at her in surprise, but didn't say anything. "I'm saying this because I know you're stalling and Kira Tsubasa can only wait for an answer for so long. This is your dream and I'm not going to sit by and watch you waste your time thinking about it when an opportunity is sitting right in front of you. You've been supporting me these past months, now I think it's time I also start supporting you."

Silence filled the studio that Maki was sure Nico would've heard her rapid heartbeat if it wasn't for the fact that the third-year was breathing loudly.

"Nico-chan…?"

Nico responded to her with a wide smile before she wrapped her arms around Maki's waist, pulling her into a tight hug and pressing her ear into the younger girl's chest, Maki's rapid beating heart resounding in her eardrums.

"Ni – Nico-chan?!"

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"For what?" the redhead said.

"For being my perfect match," Nico replied, the tips of her ears reddening.

Maki smiled, lifting up the older girl's chin, forcing her to look up. The redhead leaned down while Nico quickly grasped what the younger girl wanted, meeting her halfway. Maki stopped herself from grinning when she tasted the third-year's strawberry lip-gloss; it was always nice to know that she was the only one who knew what Nico's lips tasted like. The first-year felt Nico's arms wrap around her neck to bring her in closer while Maki responded by pulling her in by the waist, holding tightly onto the back of her cardigan.

The redhead didn't realize how much she really wanted to kiss Nico until this moment. They were interrupted the last time, but right now, with Nico's lips moving in the same motion as hers, their tongues grazing passed each other, and their bodies pressed closely together that the cool studio started to feel hot now; Maki could admit how much she didn't want it to end.

Nico pulled away first, chuckling at the cute confused expression Maki had. The redhead opened her eyes to look at her partner, who gave her one last peck before teasing, "You should be honest more often."

Maki grinned, surprising Nico. "Only if you promise to do the same."

Nico stood on her toes to kiss the younger girl's forehead.

"It's a deal."


	12. Chapter 11: Yazawa's Idol Team

**Sorry this took a while, I've been a little busy. But I hope you enjoy this chapter. If there are any errors, I'll fix them soon since its 3am here right now.**

 **Thank you for all your reviews! I know I say this almost all the time, but I honestly can't stop reading them. See you guys soon!**

* * *

"And that's all there is to it."

Nico stared at the contract, her eyes widening and scrunching up with every passing sentence, only to look back at Tsubasa who was seated across from her, sitting cross-legged and smiling at the smaller girl.

"So you're telling me that my idol career begins when I sign this paper?" the raven-haired asked, pointing to the stack of papers in her hands.

Tsubasa simply nodded. "Once you sign that, we'll be meeting your agent; from there, they'll be getting your name out there."

"This isn't some sort of prank, right?" Nico asked nervously. She was only a signature away from her dream; she still couldn't believe how close it was after so many nights of wishful thinking.

"I wouldn't do something like that to you," the idol laughed. "That contract is legitimate. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it to you. I'm not one to crush anyone's dreams; that's inhumane."

Nico smiled at her absurd thinking. "Of course; Kira Tsubasa would never let a fan down."

"A rival," she clarified with a smile that Nico jumped in surprise. "And you don't have to call me so formally. Tsubasa is just fine."

Nico's throat quickly went dry as the words tried to make its way out of her mouth. "Tsu – Tsubasa."

The idol giggled at the flustered Nico before saying, "So will you take this opportunity to be an idol, Nico?"

The raven-haired turned back to the contract in her hands, staring at the black ink without really reading anything. She slowly placed the stack on the table between them, twiddling the pen she was holding in her fingers. Nico clicked the top of it, letting the black inked needle touch the paper before letting it slide gently to put her signature on the line. Once she had finished signing, she looked up at Tsubasa.

"Welcome to the idol industry, Nico," she said, pulling out her hand for Nico to shake. The smaller girl nervously took it, shooting up when Tsubasa's hand gripped hers.

The third-year chuckled nervously. "Th – thank you."

"Do you get this flustered with Nishikino-san?" Tsubasa lightly teased, smiling at the red-faced third year.

Nico shot up in her seat, letting go of the younger girl's hand to cross her arms in dominance. "More like Maki-chan gets flustered around me," Nico boasted, smiling triumphantly.

"So this is what you say about me when I'm not around."

Nico stared wide-eyed at the giggling idol, not wanting to turn to the voice behind her, but ignoring her would result in worse consequences. The third-year slowly spun around to find Maki standing there, looking down at her with callous eyes, obviously unimpressed with her remark.

"Hi, Maki-chan," Nico chuckled nervously, but Maki didn't respond, her cold amethyst eyes looking into frightened red ones.

"Good afternoon, Nishikino-san," Tsubasa broke into the stare down. Maki broke eye contact with her partner to look up at the idol seated on the opposite side of the table. Being back in the café where Tsubasa first took them made her feel a little uneasy since the memory kept coming back to her mind, but whenever she glanced at Nico, who kept her eyes fixed on the first-year despite Tsubasa being there, made Maki feel a little better.

"Afternoon," the redhead replied.

Tsubasa smiled back before Nico suddenly jumped up from her seat to stand right in front of her partner. Maki took a step back in surprise when the third-year decided to shove the contract in her face.

"Look, Maki-chan!" Nico smiled. "I'm officially an idol!"

"Go – good for you," Maki muttered, looking away from the third-year as she started to smell Nico's strawberry scent from how close she had gotten. No matter how many times she saw the older girl, her scent was still something Maki couldn't help but seek out.

Nico pouted. "That's all you have to say to your partner?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the redhead, blowing her cheeks up in disappointment.

"Congradulations," the first-year added.

"Boo."

Tsubasa laughed before saying, "Well, Nishikino-san, since you're here, would you like to come with us to meet Nico's team?"

Maki jumped a little with the informal name-calling, but she didn't want to seem affected by it, so she simply said, "I can do that."

"Really?" Nico beamed. Maki's face started to turn red just staring at the sparkle in the raven-haired girl's eyes as she looked up at her in excitement. The first-year quickly looked away, her face feeling too hot for her liking.

"Ye – yeah."

Tsubasa got up from her seat, grabbing her school bag to sling over her shoulder. As she started to walk by Nico, Maki heard her say, "She does get flustered around you" to which Nico agreed with a smile.

As the idol walked around the door, leaving Maki and Nico in the café, the first-year quickly pinched Nico's cheek, pulling it up in annoyance.

"Maki-chan, you weren't supposed to hear that," the raven-haired managed to say through the pain.

Maki bent down, putting her face only inches away from her partner and huffing in irritation. Nico flinched at the hot air hitting her face, cowering back as much as she could from the angered face in front of her, the first-year's teeth tightly clenched and her eyes intensely staring at Nico.

"Don't do that again," Maki growled.

"Do what again?" the third-year asked nervously.

Maki responded by roughly pressing her lips onto Nico's, their teeth slightly bumping on impact. The raven-haired flinched from the clash, but mostly from shock. Before she could completely process what was happening, Maki separated from her, her fingers loosening their hold on Nico's cheek.

"Don't get me all flustered," the first-year whispered angrily so the other customers wouldn't hear. She was glad none of them took notice of their interaction.

"I'm – I'm sorry," Nico stuttered, taken aback by Maki's statement.

The first-year let her hold go, standing up straight and fixing herself. As Nico watched her, she noticed for the first time how nicely dressed Maki was: a simple red sundress with a pink cardigan.

"What are you staring at?" the redhead asked, her eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Nico looked her in the eye, wondering how long she was looking for her partner to actually notice. "It's nothing," Nico smiled. "I was just admiring how cute you look today."

Maki's face turned a shade darker from before, turning away from Nico as she headed for the exit without saying anything. But as she pushed the door ajar, she looked back at Nico and said, "If you don't hurry up, I'm leaving you behind."

The third-year half jogged towards the door, slightly pushing Maki out so the both of them could get through. As soon as they stood on the sidewalk, the redhead a little stunned from Nico's pushing, the raven-haired gave her a big smile as she said, "You're not leaving me anywhere; I'll catch up to you as soon as possible so I could stand right here." Nico stomped her feet as she stood right next to the first-year, standing straight up with her chest puffed out.

Without waiting for an answer, Nico started to make her way towards the agency as Maki stared at her back, at a loss for words. Her partner's proclamation repeated in her mind a few times before she smiled and followed, Nico shouting at her to "get a move on" to which Maki responded with a "give me a break," resulting in a bickering match from feet away, a few people in between trying to move out of the way uncomfortably.

Despite the harsh comments going back and forth, Maki was excited.

* * *

"Nico-chan, you're breaking my hand," the redhead whispered at her partner, Nico's grip tightening at the motion of the elevator going up.

"Bear with it," Nico hissed under her breath.

Maki bit the inside of her cheek, her teeth digging deeper the tighter the third-year held her sore hand. The redhead always thought the view of the skyline was an amazing sight, but with Nico beside her, she'd have to put her focus on other things, ignoring the window behind them.

"Why does all these stupid elevators have to have a window?" the raven-haired complained.

The first-year smirked. "I can't believe how childish you are."

Nico scrunched her eyebrows without opening her eyes, turning her head to where she thought Maki stood. The first-year tried hard not to laugh when Nico faced a little too far to the left.

"You're one to talk!" Nico argued back to the wall. "'I'm Nishikino Maki and I'm scared of thunder.'"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at Nico's poor imitation of her before turning her head so she could be facing Maki. Realizing she wasn't actually looking at her partner, the third-year's cheeks reddened and she embarrassingly said, "Thanks."

"First of all, I don't talk like that," Maki replied nonchalantly. "And second, you're still the child."

Nico stuck out her tongue before quickly putting it back in. "That didn't help, did it?"

"No."

The elevator doors opened and Maki stepped out; Nico let go of the redhead, exhaling loudly to let her heart rate slow down. "I have to go through that again."

"You eventually have to get over it if this is where your agency is at," Maki pointed out, watching Nico excessively breathe in and out. Her partner was totally too dramatic to not be an idol.

"Ah, you've finally made it," Tsubasa entered, her usual smile on her face.

"Sorry, we had a bit of a problem," Maki told her.

And it was true: the problem being that Nico took 20 minutes to get on the elevator and another 10 minutes for the third-year to stop opening the door as it was closing. The only way she stopped was when the redhead grabbed her partner before she could frantically slip her hand passed the door.

"It's fine," the idol giggled. "There's no rush today."

"Okay, I'm good," Nico announced, letting out one last breath as she stood beside Maki.

"Are you ready, Nico?" Tsubasa asked the third-year.

"F – for what?" the raven-haired asked, freaking out on the inside from the reality of everything happening. Just an hour ago, she signed to be an idol, now she was at the agency she always stared out from the outside ever since she was little.

The brown-haired giggled. "To meet your team, of course."

Nico slightly swayed side to side, leaning on her partner for support as she chuckled weakly. Maki jolted in surprise, but made sure to keep her steady, grabbing onto the smaller girl's hand from behind their back. Nico took a deep breath once they made contact, but the redhead didn't know if it was because Maki grabbed on to her hands or if it was because she was calming her nerves. Either way, the first-year stopped herself from smiling.

"I'm ready," Nico said with confidence, standing straight up, but not letting go of Maki's hand.

Tsubasa nodded before making her way towards the double doors, a sign that read **Sunshine Agency** on the top. Maki stared at it as they walked by, following her partner through the doors that lead to a big lobby, the ceiling so high up that Nico stared wide-eyed in amazement. Although, the redhead was sure it was because she didn't want to look at the huge window that occupied the whole other side of the room.

"Maki-chan, this is so cool."

Maki responded with a smile, squeezing the older girl's hand to which Nico laughed, kissing the first-year's cheek; Maki was too thrilled to push her away.

"Yazawa Nico!"

Both girls turned to find an older woman walking towards them. She was tall and slender in her black business suit, an earpiece in her ear and a phone in her hand. Her short, dark brown hair bobbed up and down while her greenish eyes glowed in excitement. She came striding towards them with a smile; her arms wide open to pull the third-year into a hug.

Nico stuttered, not understanding what was happening as Maki and Tsubasa watched, the redhead just as confused and the idol laughing at Nico's reaction.

"Tsubasa has told me so much about you," the woman said as soon as she let go of the flustered Nico. "And let me just tell you, I'm ready to get this going as soon as you are."

Nico stared, the tips of her ears going red.

Noticing the younger girl's baffled state, the woman laughed at herself before saying, "I'm so sorry. That was so rude of me. Not even introducing myself; I'm just a bit excited from all of this."

"Nico, Nishikino-san, this is Hayashi Kyoko," Tsubasa cut in, gesturing towards the older woman. "She'll be Nico's agent."

Kyoko smiled. "You can just call me Kyoko since we'll be working together from now on. No need to be so formal with things. We're going to have so much fun."

"Ni – nice to meet you," Nico finally responded.

Kyoko suddenly turned to the redhead, her green eyes shining. "Did I just hear that your name was Nishikino? As in Nishikino Maki?"

Maki nodded, too surprised to speak up.

"Oh my goodness," the older woman uttered, smiling brightly as her. "What is someone as talented as you standing here?"

Nico snapped out of her nervousness. "She's my life partner," Nico said smugly, pointing to her chest.

Maki rolled her eyes, but Kyoko shot up instantly. "You're telling me that the brilliant Nishikino Maki is your perfect match?"

The third-year nodded, the same smirk still on her face.

"Would you be willing to write the music for your partner's songs?" Kyoko asked the first-year suddenly. Maki jumped at the request.

The older woman kept smiling at Maki as both her and Nico kept trying to figure out how to communicate without actually saying words. Nico had to admit that her two friends were something special if they could do something like this with no problem since her and Maki had no idea what either was thinking.

Tsubasa put a hand on Kyoko as she said, "Kyoko-san, we already have a composer. And Nishikino-san would be way too busy preparing for regionals to be writing pop songs."

"Oh, that's right," Kyoko remembered. "I almost forgot."

Both Nico and Maki sighed out of relief. But the redhead jumped up. _Why is Nico-chan relieved?_

"Well with that said," the older woman said, grabbing their attention. "Let's not keep the others waiting, Nico-chan."

Kyoko turned towards the hallway; Nico followed first with Tsubasa and Maki right behind them. Maki could see the timid steps the third-year was taking, remembering just how nervous she was the first time Maki spent a day with her siblings.

"You and Nico get along really well," Tsubasa broke the silence, talking low enough so the smaller girl wouldn't hear her.

The redhead turned to her in surprise. "I…guess," she replied, starting to twirl a strand of her hair.

Tsubasa giggled. "I'm sure if you weren't busy with regionals, you would make a perfect composer for Nico, Nishikino-san."

"You can just call me Maki," the first-year suggested, not looking at the brown-haired beside her. "Since I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Then you can call me Tsubasa," the idol replied with a grin.

"Here we are!" Kyoko exclaimed, standing in front a brown door that had her name printed on the front of it. "You ready?"

Nico nodded as the agent opened the door, letting Nico and the others in to an office space, Kyoko's desk right in the middle and a couch that was occupied by two bodies while one stood next to it.

As Maki entered behind Nico, her eyes widened at the figure standing by the couch.

"Yuki Ryuu?!"

Nico stopped walking, turning to watch her partner stare in disbelief at the boy in the corner. The tall boy stared back, his face turning as red as Maki's hair.

"What are you doing here?" Maki asked. Without him answering, Maki pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell me your Nico's composer."

Ryuu jumped in astonishment before his eyebrows scrunched up in irritation. "And so what? You think I can't write music for an idol just because I didn't place at districts?"

Maki sighed. "I didn't say that."

"I'll get you next time," Ryuu declared.

"Maki-chan, who's that?" Nico stood beside the first-year, looking at Maki with curiosity and what looked like a little annoyance.

"That is Yuki Ryuu," Kyoko answered. "He's a pianist like Nishikino-san. He placed second in districts last year. He'll be the composer in your team." Nico nodded slowly in acknowledgement.

Maki scanned the couch, stopping on the blue-haired girl. She blinked a couple of times in bewilderment before saying, "Sonoda-senpai?"

The girl stood straight up at the sound of her name, slightly trembling in a panic. "Do – do I know you?"

"Do you know her?" Nico asked, pointing to the taller girl.

"I bumped into you a few months back," Maki reminded her. "You dropped your letter that had your name on it."

Umi stared at the redhead for a minute before nervously saying, "O – oh, I remember now. I'm very s – sorry about that; I didn't mean to run into you." She suddenly stood up from her seat, bowing towards Maki.

Maki jumped back. "I asked you to stop bowing to me," she said uncomfortably.

"Oh, that's right," Umi replied as she stood up and started to fidget with the sleeve of her button down.

Nico looked between the girls in confusion. "I'm sorry, I'm missing something here."

"This is your songwriter: Sonoda Umi," Kyoko introduced the second-year. "I believe she goes to the same school as you, Nico-chan."

Umi bowed to Nico, to which the third-year also jumped in response. "It's very nice to meet you, Yazawa-senpai. I'll do my very best to provide you with the most inspiring lyrics."

"Th – thank you?"

The other girl sitting on the couch giggled at Umi to which everyone turned to her. Realizing she had caught their attention, the girl stood up to stand next to the blue-haired, smiling at Nico.

"And this is your costume designer," the agent said, gesturing towards the other girl. "Her name is Minami Kotori and she knows all things fashion. She'll be able to make you look your cutest."

"Thank you for this opportunity, Yazawa-senpai," Kotori smiled.

"And with that, this is your complete idol team," Kyoko concluded. "I know they don't have very much experience in the professional field, but they are all gifted young students just as yourself. So I think this will be a good experience for the four of you."

"You're all my juniors?" Nico asked, scanning all of them back and forth: Umi still fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, Kotori simply smiling as she nodded, and Ryuu glancing at Maki every few seconds.

"Yes, senpai," Kotori replied.

Nico let out a long sigh before giggling. "Since we're all going to be working together, we'll skip the kouhai/senpai formalities. It'll make me feel less nervous to have you calling me Nico instead."

"A – are you sure?" Umi asked, her face turning a little red.

"Don't be so anxious," the third-year slightly scolded.

Kotori chuckled. "I'm sorry about her; she gets a bit tense in these situations. She'll warm up as soon as we start working."

"Umi-chan will be just fine as long as Kotori-chan is around," Kyoko informed Nico. "So if anything happens, call Kotori-chan."

"Why's that?" the third-year asked in confusion.

"Nico-chan, they're partners," Maki stated matter-of-factly.

Maki had taken notice of the silver bracelets they both wore and the discreet hand holding that was going on since Kotori stood up from her seat, which is probably why Umi was still very nervous. Of course, Nico would be oblivious to these things.

"So you've met your partner?" Nico asked. Both girls nodded before the third-year continued with a smile: "I met mine too!"

Maki jumped at the sound of merriment in the smaller girl's tone of voice. She glanced at the beaming third-year who took no notice of the redhead's small grin before she stopped herself from smiling.

"Yo – you have?" the blue-haired asked, still a bit timid from the environment.

Nico nodded rapidly in joy; Maki bit her lip before the third-year grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, her face starting to heat up.

"This is Nishikino Maki," Nico introduced her. "She's my perfect match."

Maki's heart started to speed up with Nico's choice of words, trying to look anywhere but Nico or the second-years. It might have been the anticipation of her dreams coming true, but the first-year would take it anyway. She caught a glimpse of Ryuu who was still standing in the same spot, his eyes looking down as if he was bothered by something.

"Oh! You're the first-year everyone is talking about," Kotori said, taking a few steps closer to Nico and Maki. "I've heard you're a very talented pianist and that you'll be taking part in the regional competition."

Maki nodded, still flustered from her partner's introduction earlier to which she heard Tsubasa silently giggle.

"I'm…okay, I guess," Maki replied, twirling the strand of hair that started to curl from the constant hair twisting.

"She's just being modest," the third-year cut in with a cheeky smile. "Maki-chan is amazing which is why she placed first at the district competition." Ryuu coughed, catching Nico's attention, her smile quickly turning into a scowl when she faced him. "You have something to say?"

Ryuu jumped as if he wasn't expecting the new idol to notice him since he was still in the corner of the room, out of everyone's view. "Nothing at all."

The raven-haired didn't reply, but everyone else could feel the tension building in the atmosphere. No one said anything, too afraid that the wrong thing could just build anxiety between the two students; all of them thinking of how bad of a start this was for the both of them.

"Nico-chan," Maki finally said, grabbing hold of the older girl's wrist. "He'll be your composer, so you're just going to have to excuse his rudeness."

"What?" Ryuu retaliated, but it went ignored.

"Fine," Nico huffed. She was in too good of a mood to argue with her partner and Maki was right anyway.

"Well with introductions out of the way," Kyoko started, clapping her hands together, "let's get this show underway."

* * *

Maki sat on the edge of her bed, scrolling through her phone when a notification alerted that she had received a text message.

It's been two weeks since Nico and the rest of her idol team started meeting up to coordinate music, lyrics, and costumes. Kyoko was busy looking for anything the third-year could appear on to start getting her face shown on advertisements or TV. So far, she could only get a ramen commercial (Rin thought it was a great idea) and a commercial for a new brand of bread (Honoka pushed for the smaller girl to do it).

 _'We've been figuring out what to do for the past hour now.'_

Maki could feel Nico's irritation through the phone, slightly laughing to herself as she typed in her reply.

 _'Well beginnings are always tough. It'll be fine when you get used to it.'_

 _'It's not that it's tough.'_

The redhead raised an eyebrow.

 _'So why do you seem stressed?'_

 _'Umi and Kotori are doing just fine with this whole thing. Actually, they're doing great for their first time in the professional.'_

 _'And Ryuu?'_

Nico didn't reply back as quickly as she was earlier, probably busy with the other three since they were in a meeting. It's been like this since Nico had officially signed the contract and Maki didn't really mind, knowing that her partner was fulfilling her dreams; plus she now had more free time to practice for regionals which were scheduled for September. And with it being summer break; Maki spent most of her time in her studio and the remaining time with Nico when she wasn't busy.

Maki slowly made her way down the stairs, rummaging through her tangled red hair. She walked through the hallway, the only sound coming from her footsteps and the AC blowing cold air into the mansion.

As soon as she made it into her studio, she walked towards the table that held a mess of music sheets that she had laid out the night before, being too lazy to put it into a neat stack before she went to bed.

The first-year sat herself down on the small couch, slowly scanning each piece of paper before she stopped on the one that sat in the middle, half hidden by rejected music pieces.

Maki picked it up, reading the lyrics Umi had written for Nico's debut song. The redhead had to admit that the second-year was pretty amazing with the lyrics for someone who had never written a song in her life. Maki tried to hum a tune that might match, but all of them sounded too weird to match with the words.

As soon as she put the lyrics down, her phone rang again. Maki picked it up, opening it to her messages.

 _'That's the problem.'_

Maki hated how cryptic Nico could be sometimes.

 _'What do you mean?'_

 _'I mean that he's the problem.'_

* * *

Maki got off the elevator and walked towards the double doors. After asking Nico what was the problem with Ryuu (aside from things Maki already found irritating), the first-year decided to see for herself what made her partner feel troubled. The moment she stepped through the entrance, she found Tsubasa standing there, talking on the phone.

"I'm telling you that we'll get it to you as soon as possible," Maki heard her say. "Hayashi-san is in another meeting right now which is why I'm speaking with you. I'll have her give you a call once she's done. Thank you."

The older girl turned around, smiling when she realized Maki was standing there, a look of confusion on her face.

"What's going on?" the redhead asked since she felt that the phone call had to be connected with Nico's worries.

Tsubasa sighed. "We're having a slight complication," the idol answered, trying to keep the smile on her face, but Maki could see the worry she held as well, only making her more curious as to what was going on.

Without saying anymore, Tsubasa lead the younger girl towards the meeting room where Nico and the others were supposed to be discussing their ideas. But once the two girls stepped in, chaos took over.

"Why are you arguing with me?!"

Maki shot up at the sight of Nico angrily standing over Ryuu, hunched over to put her face right in front of his as they intensely glared at each other that Maki could've sworn she saw smoke coming out from both of their heads.

"I'm telling you that this takes time!" Ryuu argued back, his teeth clenched.

"Well, it looks like you're spending so much time fooling around!" Nico hissed, her hands on her hips. "Umi and Kotori already have their part done!"

Ryuu growled. "All they had to do was write words and draw pictures! Anyone could do that!"

Nico stepped back in surprise before she grabbed hold of Ryuu's collar in anger, Umi cowering in fear as Kotori seemed to have given up on trying to stop their fighting a long time ago, trembling in panic.

"Umi and Kotori are working just as hard as you're _supposed_ to be!" Nico scowled, lifting up his collar that Ryuu was forced to lift his chin up.

Maki ran towards the smaller girl, pulling her away from Ryuu, who started to fix his collar once Nico had let go.

"Maki-chan?" Nico's face softened.

"Nico-chan, what's going on?" Maki asked, a little concerned after witnessing such a scene.

The third-year narrowed her eyes at the boy still sitting in his seat, his arms crossed in annoyance as he avoided all eye contact with Nico. "This _musician_ is pushing our plans back because he can't seem to compose a tune," Nico spat out in vexation.

"It's not that easy!" Ryuu hissed.

"Ryuu, you told me us could get it done by today," Tsubasa reminded him.

Ryuu huffed. "Well, I couldn't, okay? I'm sorry." But from the tone of his voice, he didn't sound very apologetic and Nico heard it loud and clear.

"I don't know what's going on with you," the third-year started, trying hard not to shout anymore, "but we offered to help you and you denied that so we gave you your space. You gave us your word that you would have this done by today and so we scheduled everything around you. But now you come up here with nothing; not even a real apology. I don't care who you are or what you've done as a pianist, but I'm not going to take you seriously until you take _this_ seriously."

And with that, Nico stormed out, leaving the rest of them to watch as the door slowly closed behind her.

"Is there anything you would like us to do?" Kotori asked generally, but Maki could tell she was really talking to Ryuu.

"I think we should just call it a day," Tsubasa suggested, whipping out her phone and dialing a number. "We'll push back Nico's schedule for now." The idol waved goodbye as she walked out the door.

"We'll be going now," Umi said in a serious tone now that she had calmed down. "It was good seeing you again, Nishikino-san." Umi and Kotori made their way out, leaving Maki with an angered Ryuu.

It was quiet for a few minutes; neither knew what to say or whether there was anything to say in the first place. The older boy sat slumped in his chair as Maki made her way towards the doors, feeling it was useless to waste words on him since she felt he wasn't going to listen to anyone right now.

"Maki," she heard him say in a quiet tone. "You know what I'm talking about, right?" Maki turned to look at Ryuu who looked as if he was the victim in this whole situation; his expression irritated the redhead.

"I'm not being bias just because Nico-chan's my partner," the first-year replied. "But I think you should get a move on with the music. Not just for Nico-chan's sake, but for yours as well."

Not waiting for an answer, Maki walked out; looking both ways to figure out which direction Nico might've taken. Going on instinct, the redhead started to walk down the hall, eventually finding the smaller girl in one of the other empty meeting rooms as she left the door open.

The older girl didn't take notice of Maki coming in as she was staring at Kotori's sketches that she had presented for her earlier that day. The redhead watched for a few seconds as Nico's once furious face was now grinning as she flipped through the pages Kotori gave her.

"What are you looking at?" Maki said, making her way towards the third-year.

Nico looked up in surprise, not expecting her partner to find her so quickly. As Maki sat down on the chair next to the smaller girl, Nico handed her the few pages to show the redhead.

"Just a few designs Kotori came up with," the raven-haired replied, looking down at them as both her and Maki held on to the pages, slowly pushing her chair to get closer to the taller girl.

The first-year looked at the different designs that were skillfully drawn onto the paper, many colors filling the pages. "I think this will match the song," Maki said, pointing to the pink one.

Nico laughed as she rested her head on the younger girl's forehead, Maki smiling with her. "I think so too," the third-year agreed.

Maki watched as Nico admired the designs, softly grinning as she stared at the pink one that the redhead pointed out. It was nice seeing the third-year being gentle after her outburst; Maki could say that witnessing her partner all stressed and outraged wasn't something she'd like to see again.

"Why did you come here anyway, Maki-chan?" Nico asked, her red eyes looking into purples ones.

"You sounded overworked so I thought I should come over," the redhead said. Once she noticed the surprised expression Nico wore, she quickly added, "It's not like I had anything to do anyway and we haven't seen each other since last week, so – "

Nico laughed, cutting Maki off. "I get it, Maki-chan. You wanted to see me."

"I – I did not," the first-year countered, trying to not sound so flustered.

"You didn't have to come all the way over here," Nico told her, letting out a sigh as she placed her hands over Maki's.

Maki grinned. "I told you I'd be supporting you. And that means when you need me, I'll be there."

Nico didn't say anything, her cheeks slowly turning red. "You're not getting embarrassed," she pointed out.

"That's because I'm not," Maki said.

Nico averted her eyes as her cheeks turned a shade darker that Maki could feel the heat growing on the older girl's face. The first-year intertwined her fingers with Nico's as she slowly leaned forward.

If there was any remaining worry in the third-year, it had all disappeared, her mind going blank when her lips felt Maki's soft ones against it. The kiss was slow and filled Nico's body with warmth. Maki squeezed tightly onto the smaller girl's hands when she felt Nico's tongue slip into her mouth.

Her heart sped up when Nico giggled in between kisses, resulting in Maki chuckling with her.

"I'll be there for you too, Maki-chan," Nico declared, winking at the younger girl before lifting up one of her hands to her lips, placing a gentle kiss on them that Maki's ears started to feel warm.

"I – I know," Maki replied, turning her head away from the third-year.

Nico chuckled. "Now, you're embarrassed?"

"I don't choose when I get embarrassed," Maki retorted before roughly kissing the tip of Nico's nose.

Nico smiled at the taller girl. "Just you watch, Maki-chan," she said, placing a fist to her chest. "I'll be the greatest idol in the world."

Maki kissed her forehead. "I know. I believe in you."

* * *

 **To 123:** I hope this answered your question about Umi! I didn't forget about her haha I was writing her part when I saw your review. As for Hanayo, we'll be seeing her fate(?) soon so hopefully you stick around for that.


	13. Chapter 12: Idol vs Composer

**I wanted to finish this before Nico's birthday. Happy Advanced Birthday Nico!  
**

 _ **123:** __Mind me asking? In what country are you at?  
_ **I don't mind. Since its summer vacation, I'm back home on Guam which is a US territory in the Pacific Ocean, between Japan and the Philippines. So technically, my country would be the United States, but because we're timezones away, we're 17 hours ahead of the West Coast (14 hours from the East Coast). Hopefully that's enough information to answer your question.  
**

 **Other than that, please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

"Stop. That."

It's been another week of waiting for Ryuu to finish his part that Nico was starting to get impatient. After their last meeting, the third-year was doing her best to not waste her voice on him, but the more he kept glaring at her when they passed each other at the agency, the more she wanted to smack the look off his face.

"What? I'm not doing anything," Nico replied, casually aiming the video camera at Maki as she glowered at the smaller girl.

Maki sighed as she sat up straight on the piano bench, discreetly trying to fix herself as Nico fiddled with the device in her hands. "Why are you even filming me in the first place?"

"Because I'm going to show Yuki Ryuu what a real composer is like," Nico quickly answered, looking through the lens of the camera as she tried to get the best angle she could find.

"It that actually going to work?" Maki deadpanned, twirling the ends of her hair and then stopping when she glanced at the camera.

Nico put down the camera after finally finding the perfect shot, sighing as she slumped into a defeated position. She turned off the device as she scratched the top of her head in irritation before saying, "I don't know what to do anymore. He's acting all high and mighty even when he doesn't have his piece done. Kyoko is starting to doubt him, but he's the only 'talented' composer willing to work for an unknown idol with such little pay."

The redhead watched as her partner sighed for the second time, mindlessly fiddling with the camera in her hand. "Why don't you just stop being so prideful and talk to him?"

"Oh, that's great advice coming from you," the third-year scoffed, crossing her arms as she narrowed her eyes at the younger girl.

"I'm trying to help you," Maki argued.

"You're right, I'll have to face him eventually," Nico groaned, as she walked towards the couch of Maki's studio, slumping into it as the redhead watched from her seat. As soon as she sat down, the older girl laid her head back and closed her eyes. "Why is he such a pain?"

The first-year snickered before making her way towards her partner. "He's always been like that. You have no idea what it was like growing up with him."

Nico didn't reply right away as Maki sat down next to her. Without opening her eyes, she replied, "So you guys are like childhood friends." It meant to be a question, but the little annoyance in her voice made it sound more like a statement.

The redhead jerked from the remark. "N – no! We're nothing like that," Maki tried to say confidently. The shaking in her voice made the older girl glare at her from the side before she stared back at the ceiling.

"You seem to know him well enough," the third-year pointed out, resting an arm over her eyes.

Maki slumped back into the couch. "That's only because we've competed against each other so often growing up. Other than that, we've never really talked or anything. It's all rivalry."

"Hmm…if you say so."

The first-year watched as Nico breathed heavier than usual, her arm still over her face and the other tapping the side of her leg. Maki couldn't really tell, but from the way the raven-haired remained silent was enough for her to ask:

"Nico-chan, are you jealous?"

The third-year instantly jumped up in her seat, staring wide-eyed and in a panic at the younger girl. "Wh – what makes you s – say that?" she asked as her cheeks started to turn red.

Maki shrugged. "I was just asking," she replied nonchalantly as if making her partner flustered was no big deal.

"I'm not jealous of him," Nico stated rather unconfidently as she turned her head away from Maki and crossed her arms tightly to stop the nervous shaking, but she bit her lip when she started to shake even more. The third-year cursed herself a bunch of times before she realized that Maki was sitting right in front of her. "Wah! What – what are you doing?"

"Nothing," she replied, slightly smirking. "I was just admiring your 'not jealous' face."

"I'm not jealous," the smaller girl retorted.

Maki hummed in response. "Okay, if you're not jealous, then would it be all right to say that I used to like him?"

"What?!" Nico had jumped off the couch and was hovering over the surprised redhead, her teeth clenched and her crimson eyes glaring. Her hands were tightly balled into fists that her nails were starting to dig into her palms. "Is that supposed to be a joke? That better be a joke!"

The taller girl sighed before standing up, towering over Nico who had cowered back in shock from her partner's sudden movement. "Of course it's a joke. What idiot would believe that?"

"Any idiot would if you say it out loud like that," she replied, puffing out her cheeks in annoyance.

"You, out of all people, should know I don't like him," Maki sighed, gathering up the music sheets that were left on the table as the older girl watched her. "We don't get along at all and he's always been a rival to me; nothing more."

Nico stayed quiet for a moment before asking, "We don't always get along. We bicker almost all the time."

"That's different," Maki quickly replied as she put the sheets into a neat stack.

"How is it different?" the raven-haired asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. From the interactions she's seen between the two of them and from the way Maki complains about him, Nico could say that that was how her relationship with the younger girl was like: filled with disagreements and bickering. It was sometimes a wonder how they got this far without killing each other.

"Well because we're partners," the first-year answered, making her way to the piano.

"So, you're saying that if you were partnered with Ryuu instead of me, things will be different?" The thought made her blood boil just a little bit.

"I don't think so," the redhead replied; Nico quietly sighed in relief.

"So, what makes us different?" Nico just wanted the answer and she knew her partner was avoiding saying what she wanted to.

Maki stopped walking as soon as she made it to the instrument. "It just is," she replied in annoyance. The constant questioning was starting to get on her nerves.

But as soon as she felt arms wrap around her waist and Nico pressing her body against her back, Maki's heart sped up as she froze. She could feel the third-year's breath going down the back of her neck. "Maki-chan isn't being very honest," Nico said, her lips slightly grazing the younger girl's neck as she said this. The redhead stopped herself from shuddering at the feeling.

"You – I don't have to say it," the first-year remarked, trying not to shiver. "You should already know why."

"Okay...I understand," Nico replied, slowly loosening her grip on her partner as she started to back away.

Before she could completely let go, Maki had grabbed on to her arms to keep her there. Nico didn't resist as she waited for the redhead to say something, slightly smiling when she pulled her back in.

"It's d – different because…"

"Because what?" the smaller girl asked as she rested her chin on Maki's shoulder, watching as the younger girl's cheeks started to turn red.

"Because – do I really have to say it?" she grumbled.

"No, not really," Nico admitted seriously as she slowly wiggled her arms out of the younger girl's hold and started to take a few steps back before Maki stomped her foot in annoyance, barely missing the raven-haired's own.

"Geez, Nico-chan! It's because I actually like you," Maki admitted, slightly turning to face her as she pulled the shorter girl by the arm.

Nico laughed because placing a kiss on her cheek. "I like you too, Maki-chan," she responded happily, smiling at the flustered girl's face. "Was that so hard?"

"Yes," she replied as she turned away to hide the growing redness in her face. "I can't believe you made me say it."

The third-year chuckled. "There's a lot of things I can't believe happened, but that doesn't mean they don't make me happy," Nico winked.

Maki stared wide-eyed at the smiling girl in front of her, her cheeks and ears going red. Just as she started to lean closer, her phone rang loudly, scaring her away from the older girl. Maki fumbled in her pocket for a few seconds before pulling it out and answering the call that had interrupted them; Nico watched with a slight twitch of irritation and disappointment in her face.

"Hello?"

"Ah! Maki-chan, is Nico-chan with you?" It was Kotori and the dread in her voice made the first-year raise an eyebrow.

"She's right here," Maki replied. "What's wrong?"

Kotori didn't answer right away, a few voices in the background filled up the silence that should have been as Nico made her way towards the redhead, standing in front of her.

"Who's that?" Nico whispered. Maki put a finger to her lip to indicate for her to be quiet to which the third-year responded with a scowl. "What? Don't tell me to be quiet!"

"Nico-chan, shush," Maki scolded.

"No!" Nico argued back.

"Shut up," the first-year hissed, covering the microphone in case Kotori was still on the phone listening to them. She still hasn't said anything and Maki couldn't hear what they were saying on the other side with Nico talking so loudly.

"Did you just tell your senior to shut up?" the older girl countered.

"I'm trying to – what are you doing?!" Nico had grabbed the phone, trying to pull it away from her partner's ear to have a listen. "Nico-chan, I'm trying to listen to what's going on!"

"You just told me to shut up," the third-year reminded.

Maki glared. "That's because you wouldn't be quiet," the redhead told her; trying to keep the phone at her ear in case the second-year came back. They struggled for a few minutes; Maki didn't understand why Nico was being such a child at a time like this.

"Hello? Maki-chan?"

Both girls stopped their pulling and looked at the phone that they both had a hand on. Maki realized that one of them had pressed the speaker button during the hassle. "Y – yes?" Maki replied loud enough to reach the microphone.

Nico quickly let go of the phone for the first-year to hold, seeming somewhat relieved to hear Kotori's voice on the other line. The younger girl held on to the device, keeping it on speaker for the raven-haired to hear.

"Maki-chan, can you and Nico-chan come over to the agency?" the second-year asked.

The smaller girl didn't say anything, but raised an eyebrow at her partner. "Why? Is something wrong?" Maki asked for Nico since she knew the designer didn't know that she was listening in.

"Kyoko wants to speak with Nico-chan," Kotori answered, starting to sound nervous as the voices began to speak again, a little louder than before.

"Um…okay, we'll head there now." And with that, the second-year hung up, leaving both Nico and Maki in confusion. They stared at each other as if one of them had the answer to the sudden phone call, but neither of them said anything. Nico wasn't even expecting to see her team until the weekend. And for them to be calling so randomly made Nico's stomach turn.

* * *

"Maki-chan, stop pushing!"

"Just get on! You're wasting time!"

"Just…give…me…a…second."

Maki pushed harder as Nico held on to the sides of the elevators to keep her from going in. The elevator was already making a noise from being held open for too long and people passing by started to watch with curiosity at the commotion they were making.

"Nico-chan…you need to stop…this!" Maki complained as she pushed her hands against the third-year's back. "You can't keep…doing this every time!"

The older girl responded by trying to push herself back out of the elevator. "I…can do…whatever I want."

The redhead pushed a little harder before saying, "Oh! Hi, Ryuu!"

"Where?!" Nico had let go of her grip as Maki quickly pushed her in and frantically pressed the button several times so the door could close before Nico had a chance to make a run for it. Just as the doors shut, Nico jumped back from the window and pushed herself against the doors to get as far away as possible. She started to mumble to herself to keep calm until Maki stood in front of her, blocking her view of the skyline.

"You actually fell for that?" Maki teased, putting her face at eye level with Nico's.

"That – that's only because you made it sound convincing," the nervous girl argued, trying her best not to look passed Maki to the wide window behind her.

Maki raised an eyebrow. "In what universe would I sound happy to see Yuki Ryuu?"

"Blah blah blah," was all the older girl said, waving a hand to dismiss the conversation before the door unexpectedly opened and Nico fell backwards onto the ground.

"You could've caught me," she said coldly, glaring as Maki walked over her to head towards the doors.

"I could've or you could've stopped fighting to get on," Maki stated, not turning back to look at her fallen partner. Nico got up and started to run towards the taller girl at full speed, but missed by a foot when she moved aside to open the doors to which Nico ran through, crashing into Umi who had been waiting for them in the lobby.

"Ah! Ni – Nico! I'm so sorry!"

"There's no need to apologize; she ran into you," Maki pointed out, walking towards Umi and Nico who were both laying on the ground with Nico on top. Umi looked back and forth between the couple, not knowing what to do. The redhead, sensing the distress the second-year was emanating, picked the smaller girl up, holding her by the shoulders to keep her steady.

Umi got up after, dusting herself off and fixing her hair. "Everyone is waiting for you, Nico," the blue-haired stated, but when the older girl didn't answer, her and Maki both looked at the smaller girl with curiosity. "Nico?"

The third-year raised a hand up. "Give me a minute."

"Uh, maybe you should go lay down, Nico-chan," Maki suggested, realizing this was the second time in a short period that Nico fell down.

Nico didn't answer, only waving a hand to say that she was all right. But Umi took her from the younger girl as she said, "I'll take her to the meeting room. If anything happens, I'll call you, Maki."

Maki nodded, watching Umi walk Nico towards the hallway. She shook her head in disbelief before she decided to walk down the opposite hall, remembering that Kyoko had offered for her to play in the studio whenever she had to wait for Nico during meetings. She's never really gone in, mostly because Nico drags her wherever she goes, but this time, Maki had time for herself. And that time would have to be spent practicing till September. Nico was starting to live her dream, now Maki had to make hers come true too.

As she reached the double doors with a sign that indicated that it was the studio, Maki walked in to find a simple room with a piano sitting in the middle. It was smaller than Mori-sensei's studio, but it was just enough to practice for a few hours.

The redhead sat herself down and opened the fallboard, dust quickly flying up as if telling Maki that it was dying to be played. Maki pressed a key to hear the clear and melodic sound of the instrument. After pressing a few more keys, the first-year played the first tune that popped into her head.

The harmony quickly became a piece by the time she realized it. Closely listening to the melody she was playing, Maki started to fit the lyrics Umi had written and that she remembered from reading it so many times. It wasn't exactly perfect, but it sounded pretty good. The feeling of accomplishment swelled in the redhead as she ended her piece on the chorus, unable to get to the second verse of the song. It was a great start, but she wasn't the composer and no one was around to witness it, which meant that Nico was still in the same position.

Maki sighed, knowing that her writing an arrangement wasn't going to help the third-year get any closer to her debut. She wished that Ryuu could just figure something out and stop holding all of them back.

"Maki…"

The first-year jumped at the sound of her name, not expecting anyone to be coming in. And she definitely wasn't expecting the person who found her to be Ryuu. The sight of him made Maki glower to which he took notice as he didn't take a step closer towards her.

"Aren't you supposed to be in a meeting?" Maki asked, crossing both her arms and legs as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"They wanted to talk without me," he stated, scratching his head as if he was annoyed by that fact.

Maki smirked. "Oh, you've been fired already?"

"No!" he quickly retorted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "They just wanted to speak without me; probably because I'm not being much help right now. They said I should try and compose something while I wait."

"So, you admit you're holding them back," Maki said, a little surprised by his acknowledgement.

The older boy frowned. "I already know I'm pushing everything back," he huffed, averting his gaze. "It's just hard to say that I don't have anything when I should be an accomplished pianist."

"Everyone has their weakness," Maki sighed, twirling her hair. "Just because you've won awards and you're recognized as a talented composer, doesn't mean you have all the answers. You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

Ryuu stared at her for a moment and Maki could see the tips of his ears slightly turning pink, but she didn't comment on them. "Do you…think I'm a talented composer?"

Maki jolted a little at the sudden shyness in Ryuu's voice. It was totally unlike him; ever since they were little, he would always tease her and laugh at her. There was never a time that she could think of when he sounded nervous, not even before a competition.

"I guess," the first-year answered uncertainly, still trying to figure out why he looked so edgy. It's not like this was the first time they've ever been alone.

Without saying anything, Ryuu made his way towards Maki, picking her up off the bench by the hand. In shock, the younger girl didn't fight back, staring wide-eyed at the grinning boy. She didn't say anything, unable to find the right words to say to him.

It was silent for a while as the redness on his face started to become more obvious the longer he held on to Maki's hand, slightly intertwining them together. Heat started to build on the first-year's cheeks as well; she wanted to pull away, but the longer they stood like that, the harder it was becoming.

"Maki…" he said softly as he stared at their hands. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this. But I just feel like I have to say it because I can't contain it anymore."

"Ryuu, what are you saying – "

"Maki, I know you already have a life partner," he cut in, suddenly looking directly at her. "But I can't stop this pain in my chest whenever I see you. Ever since we were little, it's been like this. And I know it's useless telling you this now, but I really like you; I might actually love you – "

"What's going on?!"

Both Maki and Ryuu froze at the sound of Nico's voice. She stood at the doorway, her face contorted into a very furious and outraged look. It scared Maki, mostly because she never imagined such a small girl could emit such strong anger; her eyes told the first-year that she was about ready to kill someone and that someone was Ryuu.

" _What_ is going on here?" she asked again between her tightly clenched teeth.

"Nico-chan, I – I thought you were in a meeting," the redhead tried to say calmly.

The third-year stomped her way over to where they stood as they both nervously watched her, sweat rolling down Ryuu's forehead. As soon as Nico made it to where they were at, she clenched her hand into a fist and brought it up before cocking it back towards the younger boy.

"Nico-chan!"

Ryuu flinched, shutting his eyes closed and bringing his hands up to defend himself before realizing that the smaller girl's fist hadn't touched his face. Opening his eyes, he saw Nico's balled up hand had stopped inches from his nose as she stared angrily at him.

None of them said anything as if someone had put the scene on pause; Nico's heavy breathing filling up the silence in the studio. Maki stared in surprise as Ryuu waited anxiously for the idol to do something, somewhat wishing that if she was going to hurt him, he wanted her to do it now.

But she didn't as she put her hand back to her side and quickly grabbed Maki by the arm, pulling her so she could be beside her.

"Do you see her?" Nico asked aggressively, pointing at Maki as she held on to her wrist tightly.

"Y – yes," Ryuu uneasily replied with a nod, tensing up at Nico's stare.

" _She_ – " Nico gestured at Maki's whole body " – is mine!"

Butterflies started to fill up Maki's stomach as her cheeks quickly turned red; she wanted to kiss the hell out of Nico, but she knew that this wasn't the time for it. She saw from the corner of her eyes that Ryuu took notice at a glance as his expression looked almost pained.

Nico stared intensely at the second-year, his face looking both disappointed and scared. The longer Nico glared at Ryuu, the tighter her grip got on Maki's wrist. She wanted to tell her partner to let go, but she didn't want Nico to let her anger go any further.

The third-year wanted so badly to punch the boy standing in front of her as he nervously watched her movements in case she decided to hit him, but she knew it was unnecessary and uncalled for. She didn't really like violence and she never really resorted to it. But never in her life had she felt so infuriated that her mind kept going back to the idea of landing one on him.

"My, what is going on in here?"

The three of them quickly turned their attention to the doorway as Kyoko had entered the studio with Umi and Kotori, both trying not to look so jittery. By the way they smiled, Nico figured that she didn't have to answer that question; they already knew.

"This team needs to stick together," Kyoko stated without waiting for an answer, putting a fist in the air in enthusiasm. "So, whatever disagreements you have need to be settled. Don't you think so, Maki-chan?"

"Eh? Uh…yeah."

The third-year huffed before letting go of the redhead's wrist. She looked at Ryuu who jolted when their eyes met, looking away quickly.

"So, you love Maki-chan," the raven-haired stated factually, her eyes narrowing with every word. Ryuu gulped as he nodded his head, glancing at the older girl from his peripheral vision. "I'm sorry, but she's already taken."

The second-year's eyes drooped as his lips curved into a frown. "I know."

Nico took a deep breath to let her anger ease, trying her best to keep her emotions down. "You know, Ryuu, you'll meet your partner someday; whoever they are, you'll think that DOM got it all wrong because you had this perfect imagination of who they should be. You'll probably think that you two don't match, not even in the slightest. But you'll see that your partner is _way_ better than what you dreamed of and you'll understand why they're your perfect match. It just takes some time."

They all listened to the third-year with astonishment except for Kyoko who simply smiled in agreement. Kotori had grabbed Umi's hand to which the blue-haired accepted without pulling away, grinning at her partner. Maki stared at the smaller girl, her heart speeding up with every passing word. Ryuu didn't look at her, but when a tear ran down his face to which he quickly wiped, Nico knew he heard her.

"So, with that, can we start all over?" Nico stuck out a hand, waiting for the younger boy to take it. He stared at it for a few seconds before hesitantly taking it to shake.

Ryuu slightly smiled as he said, "I'll work harder starting with your debut song."

"Actually, we already have something for Nico-chan's first song," Kyoko informed them, walking towards the piano that Nico, Maki, and Ryuu were standing in front of.

"But you said Ryuu wasn't ready," Umi reminded her.

Kyoko grinned. "And that's true: Ryuu-kun doesn't have anything, _but_ someone else does." The agent looked at Maki with gleaming green eyes as the redhead jumped back in surprise.

"M – me?"

The older woman nodded. "I heard you playing and singing earlier. You have a great arrangement coming along! All we have to do is fix it up and we should have this song playing everywhere!"

"Wait a minute," Nico broke in, stepping in between her agent and her partner. "Maki-chan's too busy to compose a song. She has the regionals to think about."

"That is a problem," Kyoko said, putting her hand under her chin in thought. "Of course, I won't force her so it is up to her in the end if she wants to finish writing that composition she made up a while ago."

"What about Ryuu-kun?" Kotori asked out of concern for the boy's mental state.

"Ryuu-kun will still be Nico-chan's composer, but we've pushed everything back far enough," the agent replied. "I have faith in Ryuu-kun's abilities, but Nico-chan needs to get back on track or no business will take her seriously. We're already losing the trust in the recording company that agreed to record the debut song. We can't lose anymore time."

Everyone turned to the first-year who nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. She took a glance at everyone before she stopped on her partner whose eyes were telling her not to put any pressure on herself. But Maki knew that if she didn't accept it, Nico could lose her chance at being an idol before it even begun.

"I'll do it," Maki announced.

Kyoko smiled brightly as she made her way towards the door. "Then meeting in 30 minutes," she declared, as she made her way out. Umi and Kotori quickly followed behind; Ryuu looked back at Maki and Nico with a nod before also following them.

Once they were left alone, Nico turned to her partner. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Maki nodded. "It's only one song. And I do have an idea of where to take it; I'll just have to finish it and I'm sure Ryuu could help with that."

At the sound of his name, the smaller girl flinched to which Maki shut her mouth tightly to keep quiet. Nico stared at her bitterly for a minute or two before grabbing the redhead's left wrist and lifting it up.

"No one is allowed to hold your hand except for me," Nico proclaimed with a straight face. "Can we agree on that?"

Maki didn't know whether to be happy or nervous, but without thinking, she started to laugh. "Did I say something funny?"

"No," the taller girl replied. "It's just I'm relieved."

"Relieved?" the older girl echoed with confusion.

Maki stopped laughing as she intertwined their fingers together. "We can agree on that," she said. "As long as we can also agree that you're mine."

The third-year's face quickly turned red as Maki kept smiling at her. "O – okay."

The younger girl placed a kiss on Nico's forehead before pulling her towards the exit by the hand. "Let's go before they start to question us. You have a lot of things to work on."

" _We_ have a lot of things to work on," the raven-haired corrected.

Maki grinned. "Right. _We_ do."

* * *

 **Thank you for sticking around and to you new story followers as well! And once again, the reviews are seriously appreciated. See you next update!**


	14. Chapter 13: World of an Idol

**So I was supposed to be post this earlier, but I got distracted with videos of past LL lives and interviews. But I hope this chapter makes up for it :) hopefully...**

 **Enjoy your day! And I'll see you all next update!**

* * *

Maki sat on one end of the piano bench, shuffling through the stack of music sheets that she had scribbled on. Ryuu sat on the other end, nervously scratching his head as he looked down at the sheet that was handed to him not too long ago. They were so close to finishing Nico's debut song and it took less than a week since Maki agreed to help out. But there was a problem preventing Maki and Ryuu to work on their composition.

"It's really uncomfortable with you sitting here," Maki said, throwing rejected pieces on to the ground, looking for the best choices they had come up with.

No reply.

"Are you seriously ignoring me right now?" the redhead added, taking a side-glance at the other occupant on the piano bench.

No answer.

"Nico-chan! I'm talking to you!" the first-year fumed, turning to fully look at her partner who was sitting in between the two pianists. She sat with her arms crossed, sitting in the opposite direction and glaring at Ryuu who was trying his best to pay no attention to her, but by the way he was rapidly tapping his pen against his head told Maki that he was well aware of her presence.

Ryuu took a glance at the younger girl before Nico took over his view, scrunching her eyebrows in vexation at his action. He quickly looked down at the sheet in his hand, biting at the top of his pen in nervousness.

"Better keep those eyes on that paper," Nico threatened.

"Nico-chan!"

"What?" The older girl turned to look at Maki.

"What are you still doing here?" the first-year asked, a look of annoyance across her face. "Shouldn't you be somewhere else? Don't you have something to do that's - I don't know - not here?"

"Are you kicking me out?" the third-year accused, glancing at the jittery Ryuu as he tried not to look up from the music sheet, fearing Nico would take the action in the wrong way.

"No, that's not – "

"Oh, I see," she said, pointing at Ryuu who jumped. "It's so you can be alone with him."

"What? When did I – "

"I get it, Maki-chan," Nico interrupted again, jumping off of the piano bench and heading towards the doors of the small studio room. "I'll take my leave now."

Nico was only able to take three steps when Maki had forcefully turned her around; the third-year tripping on her shoe and falling into her partner's arms. Without hesitation, the redhead smashed her mouth onto Nico's, tightly hugging her against her body. Ryuu's face turned red at the sight before he quickly looked away, trying his best to read the notes on the paper.

"Are you happy now?" Maki huffed as soon as she separated from the dumbfounded third-year.

"O – okay," Nico mumbled, staring in shock as the first-year let her go.

"Now would you please go do what you're supposed to?" the younger girl sighed. "I'm not kicking you out. But you have other stuff that you need to prepare. So stop being stubborn and listen to me."

"Yes, m – ma'am."

Nico marched awkwardly towards the door, her arms following her feet's movements in a robotic way, still trying to recover from her surprise. She closed the door behind her without saying another word, leaving Maki and Ryuu to work on the arrangement without any distractions.

"You seem to know how to handle her," Ryuu commented without turning around.

"It's from experience," Maki replied casually, sitting down on the bench and opening the fallboard. "Trust me; that's not her worst."

Ryuu lightly chuckled as if he was both amused but hurt. "I think this part is fine," he stated, circling the last few lines. "If you just end it on this note except for that one, it'll sound better."

Maki looked over to what he was talking about; the older boy leaned to the side, avoiding any physical contact with her as her eyes scrolled down the paper. It wasn't until he jerked trying to catch himself that the redhead noticed his action. She quickly stood straight in her seat to give back his space as Ryuu did the same.

"Sorry about earlier," the redhead apologized, writing down the notes on her sheet. "I didn't mean to make you feel awkward. It's just that Nico-chan's a bit – "

"It's okay," he cut in, giving her a reassuring grin. "It's completely my fault. I shouldn't have done what I did; I wasn't thinking at all. I guess I got caught in the moment and all the stress was building up on me. Yazawa-san doesn't trust me and I understand. I probably would react the same if I was in her shoes."

Maki sighed. "Believe me; she wants to trust you. She's just trying to – I guess…'sniff you out' – as she put it."

"You make her sound like a dog," Ryuu laughed.

"She's practically a Chihuahua," the first-year remarked with a smirk to which the older boy laughed even harder.

After another minute of Ryuu's laughing, it had become silent again. But this time it wasn't as awkward as all the other times. They both scribbled on their respective music sheets without minding the other. Maki knew that the second-year still felt the way he did for her and it made her feel a little relieved that he wasn't saying anything because she was still afraid of what might happen if he did. But then he opened his mouth:

"They're just very protective and devoted."

"What?"

He looked at her in surprise as if she wasn't supposed to hear what he had said. "I – I mean Chihuahuas," Ryuu clarified, scratching the back of his head with his hand. "They're very affectionate dogs."

Maki stared at him in confusion for a while, her eyebrow raised before turning back to her work without replying. Ryuu chuckled nervously before also putting his gaze back on the music score.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"I'm sorry?"

The redhead sighed. "Thanks," she repeated a little louder.

"For what?" Ryuu asked, his eyebrows scrunched in puzzlement, but Maki didn't answer, mostly because she didn't know what she was thanking him for. She thanked the gods when the studio door opened and Kotori walked in with a smile.

"Kyoko is wondering if you guys are ready," the second-year informed them, her hands behind her back. Maki sometimes wondered what the older girl looked like when she was angry, but she didn't want to find out.

"We are," Maki casually replied, sliding herself off of the piano bench and walking towards Kotori. Ryuu jumped at her statement before following her to the door.

"Wait, we are?" he asked, placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder to stop her from walking before quickly releasing her as the tips of his ears turned red.

"Yes, we are," she replied, ignoring the older boy's flustered state since she knew it wasn't going to help him get over her in any way. "We finished when you gave me your idea on the ending."

Ryuu turned away, trying to hide the reddening on his cheeks. "Oh," was all he said as Maki and Kotori made their way out. He followed behind by a few steps as he kept his eyes locked on the ground.

Maybe it was a good thing that this was a one-time thing.

* * *

"Okay, from the top; one more time."

Nico didn't know how many times she sang the song, but she knew she was slightly getting tired of hearing it. After Maki and Ryuu finished the arrangement a week ago, they had finally started recording, but the third-year never imagined how tiring it would be just to sing. But she knew this had to be perfect because it was her first song and she had to make an impression.

"Yazawa-san?" The raven-haired snapped up at the sound of her name. "You missed your intro," the producer pointed out. "We've been at this for an hour straight so we'll take a short break."

Nico nodded, too exhausted to even reply as she set the headphones neatly on its stand and walked into the cool control room. Kyoko, Umi, Kotori, and Ryuu had come with her for support since they were her team; Maki was too busy making up for lost time by practicing almost non-stop since she was free from her duties as a temporary composer. Nico didn't mind, mostly because she knew how much time the redhead spent on writing her song.

Nico sat down on the couch as Kyoko talked to the producer about how to bring the song alive. Umi and Kotori sat in the back of the room while Ryuu decided to stand off to the side like he usually did.

The third-year watched his timid movements as he constantly adjusted himself to get into a comfortable position as he leaned against the wall. She stood up, making her way towards the younger boy before handing him a water bottle.

"It's best if you drink some water once in a while," she instructed him. Ryuu looked at her in surprise before hesitantly taking the bottle from her. She sighed as he opened the cap and took a few sips. "Why are you standing all the way over here anyway? Everyone is over there."

Ryuu shrugged. "I don't know. I just don't feel like I…fit in," he admitted.

"You can't fit it if you're not even _in_ the scene," Nico commented, gesturing towards where the rest of them stood compared to where Ryuu stood to emphasize her point.

"I'm fine here," he huffed, crossing his arms tighter, his shoulders stiffening up.

"Suit yourself," the third-year replied before walking away. She thought she heard a little sigh come out of him, but she wasn't about to waste anymore time if Ryuu wasn't going to do his part.

"Okay, Nico-chan," Kyoko called in a singsong voice. "Whenever you're ready, we'll start recording again."

As the raven-haired opened her mouth to reply, the studio door burst open in a loud crash as it hit the wall. Silence took over as everyone turned to the noise, wondering why someone would interrupt so suddenly. It wasn't long till they all found the reason as Nico slapped her forehead in embarrassment and disapproval.

"Nico-chan, nya!" Rin shouted, jumping through the doorway, landing with her two arms up in the air in excitement.

"Rin-chan, you shouldn't be disturbing them like that." Hanayo nervously followed in with her two hands pressed against her chest, noticing the stares that were focused on them.

"Nico-chan!" came another voice.

"Oh geez…"

Honoka jumped in the same way the first-year did, landing right next to Rin with one arm raised above her head.

"Honoka, why are you jumping around? This isn't the place for that," Umi scolded, giving the ginger-haired a scowl as Kotori giggled at the energetic girl.

"She's just excited, Umi-chan," Kotori stated, placing a hand on the bluenete's arm to calm her down. "Don't be so grumpy just because you decided to stay up last night."

"Yeah! Umi-chan is mean," the ginger replied, crossing her arms.

"Umi is right." Tsubasa put a hand on her partner's shoulder to which she sighed before agreeing with a disappointed face.

"Wow, this is amazing," Nozomi commented on the design of the room, Eli right by her side. "I can't believe they agreed to have Nicocchi record in such a nice place."

"What is that supposed to mean?" the smaller girl inquired.

"I think we all know what it means," the older girl smirked. Nico responded with a twitch, trying to hold in her temper since she knew it might ruin her idol image.

"Why are you even here?" Nico questioned. "And by you, I mean _all of you_." The six girls turned to her before they all looked at each other. "Is someone going to answer me?"

Eli replied first: "Well, we just all happened to want to visit you and we ran into each other on our way here."

"Yeah, yeah!" Honoka jumped in. "I was with Tsubasa-chan who ran into Eli-chan who was with Nozomi-chan at a cafe who had run into Rin-chan and Hanayo-chan earlier while they were shopping at an idol store." She pointed at each girl as she said her name.

"So, now we're all here, nya," Rin added with her usual wide smile.

Nico sighed. "Was it really coincidental that _all_ of you wanted to visit me on _this_ day, at _this_ time, and at _this_ place?"

"It's all in the cards," Nozomi answered, one of her tarot cards between her pointer and middle fingers.

The raven-haired groaned. "I knew you had something to do with it."

"Hey, where's Maki-chan, nya?" the orange-haired asked, looking around the room in hopes of finding the redhead.

"Maki-chan is busy practicing," Nico replied. "I didn't want her wasting time here when she needs to be preparing for her competition."

"How sweet of you, Nicocchi," the taller girl remarked, making her way towards her friend. "Supporting your girlfriend like that. Isn't she just lucky to have you?" Nozomi pinched her cheek.

"My girlfriend?" Nico repeated as she tried to slap the older girl's hand away from her face, but slowly gave up when she knew her effort was useless. "Maki-chan's my partner."

"Partner, girlfriend; same thing," Nozomi replied, letting go of her. "Or does that word scare little Nicocchi?"

"No!" the raven-haired scoffed. "It's just different…when you say it like that."

Nozomi giggled. "Is that so?"

Nico's face started to feel hot as she turned away from her childhood friend. Just thinking about Maki made her heart skip a beat, but she didn't want the older girl to know or else she'd pay the consequences of being teased. She was glad when Eli saved her from this embarrassment by stepping beside her partner.

"Nozomi, you can tease her later, but she's busy right now."

 _Thanks; you're my hero Eli…_

"Elicchi is my girlfriend," the purple-haired stated casually, ignoring her in the process. The taller girl quickly became flustered at the wording.

"No – Nozomi, not now," she muttered, trying her best to stop the blush from becoming darker to which her partner chuckled.

"Nico-chan, it's time to get back in the recording room," Kyoko told her as Tsubasa listened to the records Nico had already done.

Nico quickly nodded before opening the door as the five girls who had entered settled themselves with Umi and Kotori in the back. She watched them sit close together despite their lack of familiarity with each other before closing the door behind her and making her way to the microphone in the middle of the room. The third-year put the headphones back on, smiling to herself with the image still in her head.

If Maki were there, the picture would have been perfect.

* * *

Maki sat straight up, wondering how she had fallen asleep in such an awkward and uncomfortable position. She was sitting on the piano bench, her face pressed against her folded arms on top of the keyboard. For the redhead to doze off like that just told her that she was overworking herself. If Nico wasn't busy, she'd be at her ear for locking herself in her studio, but Maki knew that her partner was just as busy as she was now and that was confirmed when the older girl hadn't replied to her text that was sent hours ago.

The first-year sighed when she realized that it was already early in the morning. For Nico's sake (and for hers), she was going to stop practicing and sleep. She stretched as she stood up, her back aching from sleeping weirdly.

The house was dimly lit from the lights the redhead had turned on earlier that night. But it was mostly silent since her parents were probably still at the hospital and the maids had gone home before dinner, which reminded the redhead that she hadn't eaten anything since lunch. The reminder made her stomach rumble loudly as she groaned in annoyance. Hungry and sleepy: the worse combination.

She made her way to the kitchen before stopping herself in front of the fridge; she didn't know how to cook and she doubted there was going to be anything in the fridge to be ready-to-eat. Without opening it, she slowly trekked down the hall, one hand over her stomach and the other rubbing her tired eyes.

Before she could make her way up the stairs, she heard the doorbell ring. She stopped, staring at the door with fear and curiosity. It was one in the morning, who could be visiting her? It couldn't be her parents since they both had keys to the house and she hadn't heard their car pull into the driveway. She checked her phone; no one had told her they were coming over.

Quietly, Maki tiptoed towards the door, grabbing the nearby baseball bat that she father told her to have in the house in case of something. In the beginning, she thought it was dumb, but now she was glad that she had it. She clutched it close to her, gripping it tightly as the distance between her and the door started to close. Whoever was outside knocked again, obviously getting impatient. The loud thumping scared the first-year even more.

She slowly turned the knob, making sure it didn't make a noise so she could surprise whoever was on the other side. She held the bat steady so she could get a good swing at them.

With the knob fully turned, she swung the door wide open and brought the bat over her head, both her hands clasped tightly around it. Her shoulders stiffened as she gathered up all her strength to her arms, her heart beating loudly against her chest.

"Oh my god! Maki-chan, it's me!"

Maki stared at the trembling figure, her hands up to defend herself from the object if the redhead decided to strike. The first-year's shoulders relaxed as she brought the bat back down to her side.

"Nico-chan?"

Nico looked up from behind her hands, realizing her partner had put the weapon down. She breathed a sigh of relief with a hand over her chest. "I thought you were going to crack my skull," the third-year said.

"I would've if you had waited 5 more seconds," Maki replied, a little horrified that she almost attacked her partner. "Do you know what time it is? Why are you here?"

Nico grinned while giving the younger girl her famous hand sign. "Super Idol Nico Nii finished recording an hour ago so I thought that her partner would need a break too. So I'm here to – "

"You do know I was about to go to sleep, right?" the redhead cut in, crossing her arms as she leaned against the door frame, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Bwagh…" Nico smiled nervously as the taller girl raised an eyebrow. "This is really bad timing; I guess I was just a bit excited."

Maki shot up from her stance. "You were excited?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was," the raven-haired admitted shyly, looking down to avoid eye contact. "I think the driver almost kicked me out of his car."

The redhead started to giggle as Nico looked up in surprise; Maki could only imagine what her partner would do, but she was sure it wasn't far off from the real thing. "Then come inside," she said, turning and walking from the doorway to let the smaller girl come in.

"Pardon my intrusion."

"No one's home right now," Maki informed her, heading towards the staircase. "So you can relax."

"It's almost two in the morning," the older girl stated with a look of shock.

"It's normal," the redhead replied, one foot on the first step as she turned to look at the appalled girl. "It's what happens when you own a hospital."

"Is it going to be like this when you take over?" Nico asked suddenly. The first-year jolted at the question, staring at her partner who looked both curious and anxious. Maki knew she had to eventually take over the family business, but it hadn't crossed her mind that if she did, her life would be as hectic as her parents' own now. The expression on the smaller girl's face told her why she had asked in the first place.

"I…don't know actually," she answered truthfully. "But that's a long way from now so we can think about that later."

Nico hummed in reply before making her way towards the younger girl to follow her upstairs. But before they could take another step, the rumbling in Maki's stomach reached both of their ears; it was louder and longer than earlier. They froze at the sound, the taller girl's face going red of embarrassment.

"Pfft…"

Maki turned around to look at the older girl who was roaring with laughing, one hand clutching her stomach and the other gripping the railing to keep herself from falling over.

"It – it's not funny!" Maki snarled with an offended look.

"Is little Maki-chan hungry?" Nico asked, wiping the tears that had formed from her crack-up.

"N – no!" the redhead answered roughly as she took another step to escape her humiliation. But she felt a hand grab at her wrist, pulling her hard enough so she could be looking right at her. Maki was about to pull away, but when she caught a glimpse of Nico's concerned and sincere expression, she stopped herself.

"C'mon, I'll make you something," the older girl said, pulling her partner down the staircase and through the hall towards the kitchen. The first-year easily followed without complaint; she was really hungry and from what she's seen, Nico seems like a great cook compared to her who couldn't tell the difference between a ladle and a whisk.

"All right! Is it okay to use your kitchen supplies?" she asked.

"Sure," Maki replied, trying to keep an indifferent expression.

Nico started to open cabinets as the redhead watched, twirling her hair. She had opened the fridge door, her eyes widening at the sight. "Holy crap, Maki-chan," she uttered. "Your fridge is like food heaven."

"What does that mean?" she asked, rather confused. All the food in her fridge looked normal.

"These brands, they're so…upscale," Nico replied, taking out a container of tomatoes. "You like tomatoes right?"

Maki jumped. "Ye – yeah. How'd you know?"

"Cocoa told me."

The third-year opened up a few cabinets before pulling out a pot and pan from one of them. She stared at the stove for a few minutes, trying to figure out what button was what; it was so much more high-tech from the one back at her apartment. Nico looked at the redhead who still stood in her same spot before realizing that asking her would give no results.

She pressed a button that looked like the right one, hoping she wasn't about to set the mansion on fire. But when the stove started to heat up like normal, the raven-haired silently thanked her instincts before placing the pot on it, pouring enough water into it before finding the uncooked noodles in another cabinet. Nico let the water boil before placing the dry noodles in, letting it soak in the pot.

"Are you just going to keep standing there?" she asked, realizing Maki hadn't moved an inch since they had stepped into the room. It was as if she was in a total unfamiliar environment, but she wouldn't be surprised if the younger girl never made anything by herself.

"Wh – where else am I supposed to go then?" the redhead exasperated.

Nico sighed. "Here, I'll teach you how to make spaghetti at least," she offered. The first-year hesitantly made her way to where Nico stood, standing in front of the stove. She looked down at the cooking noodles.

"Don't just stare at it," the third-year instructed, handing her a cooking instrument.

"What do I do with this?"

"Move the noodles around so none of them burn," Nico replied. "Make sure all of them are soft before turning the heat off."

Maki moved the noodles around, probably too fast since the smaller girl grabbed her wrist and motioned her to rotate slower.

"Okay, keep doing that for another two minutes," the raven-haired said, walking away.

"Wh – where are you going?" the taller girl asked nervously, watching as Nico walked away.

"Aw, is Maki-chan scared I'm going to leave her?" Nico teased as Maki's cheeks turned bright red and she replied with a stern "no." The older girl chuckled before saying, "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just looking for some marinara sauce."

She took a few minutes before she found it, struggling to pop it open. Maki had been watching, her arm mindlessly stirring the contents in the pot. It was amazing that she still had a lot to learn about Nico, but she always felt comfortable despite this fact. And she thought it was a little cute that the smaller girl couldn't open up the jar. When she finally twisted it open, she groaned before making her way back to her partner.

"Maki-chan! The noodles are burning!"

"What?"

Maki looked down, realizing the noodles weren't the same gold coloring it had just a moment ago. She quickly panicked, pulling the instrument out of the hot water. She immediately regretted it when boiling out water splashed onto her arm. Maki bit her lip from squealing in pain, backing away from the stove as Nico quickly turned the heat off to stop the water from boiling.

"That was close," the older girl remarked, looking into the pot to make sure she had actually turned the stove off. "Any longer and it would have been inedible."

Maki didn't say anything, her back towards Nico as she inspected the red markings that were starting to appear on her skin. It was starting to sting a little and touching it was a huge mistake.

"Let me see."

The redhead was so focused on the burning on her arm that she hadn't realized Nico was standing right beside her. The first-year let Nico examine her arm before she walked her out into the dining area to sit her down. She walked away only to return with a first aid kit.

"This might hurt a little," the older girl warned, placing a cloth on the red spots. Maki flinched from the sudden shock of pain. She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip, hoping it would ease the discomfort. "Okay, I'm all done."

She opened her eyes to see that Nico had wrapped her arm with gauze. "Just wear this for tonight so the burns can heal."

"Thanks," Maki replied before jumping when she felt a sharp pain.

Noticing the ache her partner was feeling, Nico held the younger girl's arm, bending down to softly kiss it as Maki stared wide-eyed in bashfulness. "All better?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Sort…of," the redhead replied, looking away with her other arm covering her face as much as she could to hide her flustered state.

Nico giggled before gently removing her arm that hid her lips, placing a small peck on them. "How about now?"

"Not really," Maki answered, her breath blowing against the older girl's mouth.

"Maki-chan is being spoiled," Nico laughed.

"Is that a problem?" the first-year questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't say it was," the raven-haired responded.

Nico pressed her lips against Maki's, her hands cupping the younger girl's cheeks. The redhead responded by lightly pulling on her partner's shirt to make sure she wasn't going anywhere. It wasn't long before they both got caught up in the moment, the raven-haired girl's tongue slipping into her mouth and Maki allowed it, quietly moaning when Nico flicked her tongue on the younger girl's. Maki pulled the older girl roughly until she was straddling her, Nico gasping at the sudden change in position before the first-year smashed their mouths back together, pressing Nico against her body.

The redhead had no idea where this need to feel Nico came from, but she couldn't stop herself when her hands slid under the smaller girl's shirt, feeling Nico shiver under her fingertips. Her hands roamed Nico's flat stomach, stopping right under her bra and going back down. The older girl wrapped her arms tightly around the first-year's neck, her hands rummaging through her smooth hair. The speed of their kiss started to pick up as Maki started to play with the hem of Nico's shorts, tugging them every few seconds.

Maki was a little afraid to where this was going: an empty house with just her and Nico in a really heated kiss could lead to other things. She didn't know if she was ready for something like that, but she wouldn't allow herself to break away.

It wasn't until she broke apart from the older girl's soft lips to make her way to her neck that Nico spoke up.

"Ma – Maki-chan…hmm…" Her moan sparked something in the taller girl.

"Wa – wait, Maki-chan!" Nico cried, trying to push the redhead away from her neck when the younger girl started to kiss a sensitive spot. Maki complied, removing her lips from the smaller girl's skin to look at her. "I actually came here because...I needed to ask you something," she admitted.

The first-year looked at her curiously, waiting for the older girl to continue. She could feel the third-year's fingers playing with her hair as she gathered her courage to say what she needed.

"Earlier today…" she started, avoiding eye contact, "…they said that because I'm an idol now, I can't…let it known that I have a partner."

Maki stared at her. "So you're saying that you have to hide our relationship?"

The raven-haired nodded, biting her lip. "I told them that it wasn't fair for you…but they insisted because if people know I have a partner – "

" – you won't get fans," Maki finished, remembering what Tsubasa said to them a while back, to which Nico nodded again.

"But of course, it needs to be agreed on by both parties," the older girl added. "And I wanted to know what you think…"

If Maki was going to be honest, she thought it was really stupid since everyone would eventually meet their perfect match and it wasn't her fault that Nico just happened to be hers. It stayed quiet for a while, both of them looking anywhere but each other. She knew that an idol couldn't be successful unless they had fans to support them; Nico needed that support and having only Maki's support wasn't going to get her very far in the idol world.

"Maki-chan, if you don't want that – "

"If that's what it takes," she interrupted, looking at the raven-haired straight in the eyes. "Then I guess we have to."

Nico stared at her in surprise before pulling her into a tight embrace. "Maki-chan, how did I ever get so lucky?"

"That's what I ask myself everyday," the redhead replied with a smirk. Nico huffed, narrowing her eyes at the younger girl.

"Don't get so cocky now," the third-year chided.

"Whatever you say."

As Nico was about to retaliate, the rumbling in the redhead's stomach came back, stopping the smaller girl from saying anything. She laughed again, trying not to fall from Maki's lap.

"Stop laughing!" Maki pouted.

"Let's go finish cooking so your stomach can stop rumbling like an angry volcano," the third-year mocked, sliding off to stand up. Maki stood up after her and followed Nico back into the kitchen.

Maki may have agreed to hide that she was Nico's partner. But she knew that this was just the start of a very unpredictable roller coaster ride.


	15. Chapter 14: We Got a Problem

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! See you guys next time. And thank you for all your reviews.**

 **Guest:** _Out of curiosity, will we ever find out who Hanayo's partner is?  
_ **The short answer: yes we will haha**

* * *

"Onee-chan! Onee-chan! You have to hear this!"

"Five more minutes," the raven-haired groaned, waving her hand in the air to dismiss her younger sister. It was the last few days of vacation and she had spent most of it at her all of her practices, spending hours in studio rooms to perfect her voice and her dancing skills. Her schedule was so full; it was a wonder how all the idols could do this every day.

"Onee-sama! You're going to miss it!"

"Miss what?" she asked, picking her head up from the pillow to look at her two sisters that were standing at the foot of the bed.

"Hurry up, Onee-chan!"

"You're going to _miss_ it!"

"The day just started, what exactly would I be missing?" the older girl asked, sitting up to get a better look at them, her blurry vision clearing up.

Cocoa pouted as she crossed her arms in impatience. "Just get up, Onee-chan; you need to hear it for yourself!"

Without waiting for a reply, Cocoro and Cocoa pulled up the third-year by the arms, dragging her out from under her blankets and off the bed. Nico groggily complied, following the two smaller girls out of her bedroom door and towards the living area where Cotaro was seated close to the radio.

"What is it?" Nico rubbed her eyes, trying to find a comfortable enough seat as Cocoa turned up the volume on the radio. But as soon as she sat down, her ears perked up as she jumped off of the couch in surprise and excitement. "That's – that's – "

"It's your song, Onee-sama!" Cocoro exclaimed with a smile on her face as the other two jumped and clapped to the beat.

"Song, song, song," Cotaro chanted happily.

As her siblings cheerfully danced to the music, her voice blasting through the old speakers, Nico stared in awe. All those hours spent in the recording room, all those days she had to wake up early to meet her singing coach, all led up to this. She knew she was far from making it, but the beginning felt like the best thing ever. And watching her little siblings enjoy it was already enough for her.

"C'mon, Onee-chan!" the youngest sister shouted, grabbing hold of Nico's wrist and pulling her closer to them. "Dance with us!"

The third-year laughed before grabbing hold of Cotaro's hand and the little boy did the same with Cocoro. Standing in a small circle, they started to jump in an orbit like they usually did; Nico couldn't help but smile as she watched her siblings giggle at each other. She was happy that her song debuted on the radio, but the biggest reason she had the biggest grin on her face was the fact that the little Yazawas were having fun.

It made her remember the number one reason she wanted to be an idol in the first place: to put a smile on their faces. Losing her father had the biggest toll on them and the fact that their mother was doing everything she could to keep them in a steady place made a young Nico determined to bring her family a better life. A life that gave them a better home, newer clothes, tastier food, and, most importantly, happiness with no worries.

She was laughed at and made fun of all the time, being told to give up on such a ridiculous dream. But the raven-haired never doubted what she wanted; her family never put her down; and her partner gave the third-year her full support. And that's all she needed. She was glad she never listened to what anyone else had to say and this was the start to showing everyone who didn't believe in her that her dream had finally become reality.

Once the song had ended, the three little ones let go, falling to the floor in exhaustion, still chuckling in between their heavy breathing.

"And that was a new song by Tokyo's newest idol, Yazawa Nico," the male radio host announced. "Very upbeat, don't you think?"

"I think it's a great debut song," his female partner replied. "Super Idol Nico Nii was what she said, right?"

"I believe so," he agreed. "That's pretty catchy."

The woman laughed before saying, "I agree. Is it true she doesn't have a partner yet?"

Nico jerked up at the choice of topic as the male host hummed in thought. "I think that's what is stated on her profile. Although, it says that for most idols nowadays so I'm a bit skeptical."

"Oh, don't be so suspicious," the female host laughed. "Her career just started so let us enjoy the song she gave to us. And just as you said, if she does have a partner, she's not the only one keeping it a secret. I'm sure they all mean well."

"Onee-sama, why are they saying you don't have a partner?" Cocoro asked as the three of them sat in front of the radio in curiosity.

"Uh…" Nico nervously stared at her siblings, their big eyes looking up at her in confusion. The raven-haired chuckled just as the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" she shouted as if she was a little kid again, jogging towards the entrance and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Congrats, Nicocchi!" Nozomi and Eli stood on the other side of the door, holding a white box to give to the smaller girl. The purple-haired smiled widely as she handed the present to Nico as she looked at it with wide eyes. "We just heard your song playing and we ran here to see you."

"Th – thanks," Nico blushed, holding the box in her hands.

"So how does it feel to officially be an idol now?" Eli asked her.

"She was always an idol!" Cocoa jumped in, standing behind her older sister and looking up at the two third-years with a wide smile.

"Of course she was," Nozomi agreed.

"Say hi to Nozomi and Eli," Nico instructed her energetic little sister.

"Good morning, Nozomi-nee and Eli-nee," Cocoa greeted. "Did you hear Onee-chan's song?"

"Yes, we did," the purple-haired answered in a singsong voice as she bent down to be at eye level with the little girl, her natural mother-like character coming out.

"Onee-chan will become popular and soon the world will know her, right?" the little girl continued, her fist pumped in the air.

Nozomi giggled. "Of course," she replied, patting Cocoa on the head before she ran off to join her other two siblings in the living area.

"You shouldn't get their hopes up like that," Nico stated as soon as her little sister was out of earshot. "What if I don't make it?"

"Don't be so pessimistic," Eli scolded, pointing a finger at the smaller girl as if she was the father and Nico was the child. "This is just the beginning, Nico. You should be more confident in yourself."

Nico and Nozomi stared at the tall blonde until the raven-haired commented: "You know, you two would make great parents."

"Pa – pa – pa – parents?!" Eli stuttered, her face quickly into a dark red; all her cool and calm demeanor thrown off the balcony.

"I didn't mean – "

"Nozomi, we can't be parents," the blonde interrupted, grabbing hold of her partner's shoulders, her eyes pleading and her skin going pale at the thought of having little kids. "I'm not ready for that! It's way too early! I didn't even graduate from college! Wait, I'm not even done with high school!"

"Eli, calm down," Nico sighed as the purple-haired giggled, obviously enjoying Eli's flustered state. "I meant in the future; when you're ready."

The taller girl took a few deep breaths as she wiped the sweat that had broke on her forehead. "Right…sorry; I didn't mean to overreact."

"I wouldn't mind having kids with Elichi," Nozomi stated; Nico slapped her forehead when Eli started to hyperventilate, knowing that her childhood friend said that on purpose.

"Please come in before Eli faints out here," Nico offered, moving out of the way for her two friends to come in.

"So, has Maki-chan heard your song?" the fortune-teller asked, walking into the kitchen with Nico and Eli. Cotaro immediately dragged Eli to play with them; Nozomi silently waved goodbye before turning her attention back to the raven-haired.

"I don't know," Nico replied candidly, sitting down next to Nozomi. "I haven't talked to her yet."

The older girl watched her in silence as Nico started to feel self-conscious at her intense staring. She knew Nozomi was trying to find out what she was really thinking; keeping an aloof expression, the raven-haired stared back.

"You didn't want her to hear it, right?" she finally said, a sly smile forming on her face.

"Hear what?" Nico asked, an eyebrow raised.

The smirk on Nozomi's face widened, her hand over her mouth, as she said, "You're hoping she didn't hear it because of the conversation the radio hosts had after."

"Ugh…" _Dammit, Nozomi._

"Am I right? Or am I right?"

"You're annoying is what you are," the smaller girl groaned.

Nozomi giggled. "You did say she agreed to it. Why are you so nervous that she heard it?"

The raven-haired sighed before standing up to start making breakfast before one of the kids complained of an empty stomach, Nozomi watching her. "You won't understand," she simply replied.

"I'm sure I won't," Nozomi admitted, watching her partner get hit on the head by Cotaro only to be scolded by Cocoro a second later. "But you keeping it in won't be any better."

Nico set down the pan she was holding, thinking of the best way to put what she was actually thinking. Nozomi watched the rise and fall of her shoulders, waiting patiently for the smaller girl to say something as the apartment was filled with laughter coming from the three younger Yazawas.

"I know Maki-chan only agreed to it for the sake of my career as an idol," Nico started, turning around to look at the older girl. "I don't think she knows that I know she's hiding from her true feelings on this situation. Ever since that night, we never mentioned it again, and it's a bit upsetting because I know it's bothering her with the way she always puts this distance between us when we're together. I know I asked to make it seem like we're not partners, but I didn't think she'd take it so literally."

The fortune-teller listened carefully, nodding her head every few seconds in acknowledgement. Once Nico finished, Nozomi tapped her chin in thought as the younger girl waited a bit anxiously for her to reply.

"I don't think Maki-chan is just doing it for your sake," Nozomi expressed.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I think Maki-chan is keeping this distance for her sake as well," she stated with a grin. When it was evident that Nico was still confused, she continued: "You say its bothering Maki-chan, and I'm sure it is, but maybe it's troubling her more than you think. She's keeping that distance from you because she doesn't have any other idea how to deal with it. And from what I've seen, she's not the greatest expresser of feelings."

Nico stood there in silence, her shoulders raised as she held on to the counter top and her line of vision hitting the floor. Nozomi was probably right – who was Nico kidding? Nozomi was _always_ right. Maki wasn't someone who communicated very well when it came to how she felt about something. It's usually why they would start bickering in the first place, but the third-year would let it go, knowing that her partner just couldn't say what she wanted most of the time.

"So what should I do?" Nico asked, looking at Nozomi without lifting her head up.

"Do you really want to hear what I have to say?" the purple-haired replied. Nico nodded slowly as Nozomi grinned. "My advice to you, Nicocchi: do what you want, not what everyone else wants."

"I can't just announce that I have a life partner," Nico muttered in annoyance.

The taller girl stood up from her chair, making her way to her childhood friend who quietly watched. She stood beside her for a minute before grabbing hold of Nico's breasts with both of her hands as the smaller girl yelped in surprise. She hated Nozomi's washi washi punishment.

"It's not that you can't," she started. "It's that you won't."

"What do you think I should?" the raven-haired questioned, trying to ignore the fact that the older girl was still holding onto her chest and smirking mischievously.

Nozomi let go before replying, "My opinion doesn't matter. Like I said: do what you want."

"Sometimes you're not very helpful," Nico groaned, turning back to the stove as the taller girl simply giggled with a wink. The raven-haired knew what she wanted to do, but was it really the right thing?

* * *

It was only the first day of school and Maki already felt dead tired. She regretted staying up practicing, but with less than a month left till the regionals, the first-year became more paranoid that she was nowhere near ready. Mori-sensei and Aoi kept praising her and assuring her that she'd do just fine, but Maki didn't feel like being "just fine" would cut it. She had to go beyond her usual.

"Maki-chan, nya! We missed you!" Rin jumped onto her friend, hugging tightly onto the older girl's neck and rubbing her cheek against hers.

"Rin, you're hurting me," the redhead complained, pushing her friend's face away from her own.

The orange-haired pouted. "But Maki-chan! We haven't seen you in five-ever, nya."

"It's too early for this," Maki stated coldly, fixing her shirt before crossing her arms and staring directly at the ball of energy. "And why do you keep saying 'we', it's only you right now."

Rin nodded happily, her unexpected agreement confusing the redhead. "Kayochin is talking to a teacher right now so she'll be here soon."

"That doesn't explain why you keep saying 'we'," the older girl replied factually, losing interest in the topic as she twirled a piece of her hair. She looked out the window, feeling the fall breeze slowly coming in. She finally felt at peace until a familiar voice jumped from the courtyard and into the classroom.

"Do you think we should have said something?"

"Even if we did say something, it would've been up to them in the end."

"But, Umi-chan – "

"Kotori, there's nothing we can do. I don't agree with it either, but it's their decision and we have to respect that."

"You're right…I wonder if Maki-chan is all right though."

"Honoka has been through this for a year now. If she can do, I'm sure Maki can too."

Kotori hummed in thought before shaking her head in disagreement. "I think Maki-chan is more sensitive than we're making her out to be. I'm sure she's not taking it as well as we're hoping. I wouldn't want to be in her position right now."

"I'm sure Maki is doing just fine," Umi assured her partner, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "We just have to be there for them. Maki is stronger than that and she's supporting Nico; isn't that all that matters?"

The ash-haired girl sighed before giggling, surprising the younger girl. "Even if Umi-chan can be scary sometimes, you're still that same caring girl we met all those years ago."

Umi blushed at her partner's compliment, looking away from Kotori in order to keep the redness down. "Let's get to class," she suggested suddenly, trying to change the topic. "We don't want to be late."

Maki watched as they walked away, slight hand holding going on until they disappeared into the building. The redhead exhaled before blowing her bangs away from her eyes.

She was glad that her seniors were watching over them, but hearing their conversation made the younger girl feel even more overwhelmed than she already was. The worst part being that she hasn't really spoken to Nico ever since she heard her song on the radio; it wasn't because she was trying to avoid her, it was more because she didn't know what to say. And with the Nico has been replying with short, straight-to-the-point answers was telling her that the older girl wasn't doing any better.

"Maki-chan! Maki-chan! Nya!"

Maki turned her attention back to Rin who was pulling her childhood friend by the arm. She raised an eyebrow at the two girls, wondering why the brown-haired girl looked so flustered in front of her.

"What is it?" the redhead asked, looking from Rin to Hanayo and back again.

Rin hummed in happiness, swinging on the balls of her feet as Hanayo struggled with her words. If the orange-haired girl was expecting Hanayo to say something, she was going to have a bad time.

"If you don't have something to say, I'll be going to the bathroom before classes start," Maki informed them, getting up from her seat and walking passed them. But Rin grabbed her wrist, forcing the older girl to turn back around.

"Wait, Maki-chan; Kayochin and I have something to tell you, nya," she said, her eyes pleading for her friend to stay. The taller girl sighed loudly before she looked at them with a disinterested face; but despite Maki's expression, Rin jumped cheerfully, pulling Hanayo closer so they were standing close together. "Tell her, Kayochin!"

"Um…uh…Maki-chan – "

"Yes?" she replied irritably to let it be known that she was getting impatient. The brown-haired girl jolted at the redhead's tone of voice before she started to fidget nervously.

"During summer vacation…I – I went to the Department," she started, gulping in her jitters. At the mention of DOM, Maki stood straight up without changing her expression, a bit of curiosity seeping in. "We were supposed to tell you…but Nico-chan said you were busy, so…we didn't want to bother you. But we really did want to tell you!" she added, noticing the glare Maki was giving her. "So here it goes…what I wanted to tell you…is that – "

"Say it already!"

"Kayochin and I are partners, nya!" Rin cut in, raising her and Hanayo's arm up as if they just won a boxing match.

Maki stared in disbelief as Rin hugged her childhood friend and, now, life partner tightly, her wide smile going from ear to ear as Hanayo giggled. The sight made her feel a little upset, not because she wasn't glad for her two friends, she was happy for the both of them; she actually wasn't as surprised that they would match up. But the feeling in the pit of her stomach made her feel uneasy as she quickly excused herself to go to the bathroom, running out of the classroom before Rin or Hanayo could say anything.

She strode down the hallway, her fast pace alerting other students as they moved out of her way. Maki didn't know why her feet kept moving, but she didn't stop to think about it, making her way towards the upperclassmen rooms. She knew whom she wanted to talk to; there was someone who would understand the situation she was in right now.

The redhead halted, catching her breath as she stood in front of the classroom door, chattering coming from the other side. Her heart sped up, realizing how much of a commotion she would be making if she went through with it, but it was the only thing she could think of doing at a time like this. Maki took one last deep breath before sliding the door open.

As the door opened, a few students scrambled to their seats, mistaking the first-year for a teacher. Upon seeing that it was only an underclassman, they quickly went back to talking, but not without questioning why Maki was in their classroom in the first place.

"Maki-chan? What are you doing here?" Honoka mumbled, a piece of bread in between her lips. Umi and Kotori were seated near her, also looking at Maki in puzzlement.

"I need to talk to you." The redhead grabbed the ginger-haired by the arm, dragging her out of her seat and towards the exit, passing the other second-years on the way out. Umi stood up as if she was going to stop the younger girl, but Kotori had put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a look of assurance.

"Ma – Ma – Maki-ch – ch – chan!" the older girl stuttered, stumbling over her feet while trying to keep a hold of the bread in her hands. Maki heard a few of the students mutter how disrespectful the first-year was being to her senior, but she had bigger worries in need of her attention.

Honoka kept questioning Maki, but the redhead didn't answer a single one, pulling her out the door and up the staircase.

* * *

"So here we are…on the rooftop…during first period…just the two of us."

"Yeah…"

Honoka stared at the younger girl, hoping Maki would continue the conversation or at least give her an explanation. It was unusual for the redhead to be seeking her out for anything; it wasn't like they were very close, only meeting whenever they both followed their partners to the agency. Maki never said much, always only standing beside Nico while the third-year talked everyone's ear off. But now they sat side-by-side on the roof, quietly listening to the breeze hit the trees, leaves rustling together before calming down.

"Hey, Maki-chan?" the second-year called, placing a hand on her shoulder before pulling away when the redhead jerked in surprise. Maki looked at her. "Is there something wrong? You don't seem like the type to be skipping classes."

Maki sighed, regretting doing this now but it's not like she could just go back to class so casually. And she had taken her senior out with her so turning back now would inconvenience Honoka as well. She sighed again.

The ginger-haired coughed, catching the younger girl's attention. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'll be fine staying with you," she smiled. Her senior's consideration made Maki slightly blush before she turned away to which Honoka giggled.

"I actually…do want to talk about it," Maki whispered, twirling a strand of her hair to hide her embarrassment from saying such an unusual statement.

"What was that?"

The redhead's cheeks brightened, trying to swallow her bashfulness. She cleared her throat, stalling to give herself a few more seconds. "I...I said I wanted to…talk about it," she repeated, her voice lowering with each passing word.

"Is that so?" the second-year said, grinning at her junior. "I'm all ears when you're ready."

"It's about…this secrecy thing," Maki admitted, not wanting to waste anymore time when she heard the bell ring, signaling that first period just ended. She was glad that Rin and Umi covered for them, but she wasn't about to spend the whole day on the rooftop.

Honoka blinked in a confusion before asking, "Secrecy thing?"

Maki groaned; maybe she chose the wrong person.

"Oh! You mean with Nico-chan!" the ginger-haired exclaimed, smiling with accomplishment. "What about it?"

"How do you do it?" Maki asked, trying to look at anything but Honoka.

The older girl hummed before looking up at the blue sky above them. It was silent for a while as the wind blew passed them again, shaking the leaves off of the trees. "I ask myself that a lot," Honoka admitted with a smile.

"Huh?"

The ginger looked at the younger girl's puzzled expression with a chuckle. "I'm not enjoying it as much as you think I am," she continued. "The first few months, I couldn't tell anyone I had a partner; it was so hard. Although, Umi-chan said it's because I can't stop talking in the first place." Maki held back a laugh so she wouldn't break Honoka's thoughts. "There's definitely a lot of restrictions especially when you're in public like standing too close even aroused people's suspicions. And hearing Tsubasa-chan deny our partnership was always heartbreaking; I think I cried once – where was I going with this again?"

Maki wanted to hit her on the head, but resisted the urge to as she said, "How you deal with keeping it a secret."

"Oh right! How I deal with it…" Honoka smiled at Maki as the younger girl raised an eyebrow. "I'm really happy being with Tsubasa-chan."

"Despite all those things?" the redhead asked.

Honoka nodded gleefully. "Of course! It's always fun being with Tsubasa-chan. She makes me smile and laugh and she always gives me bread cause Umi-chan likes to take away the ones I bring to school." The ginger pouted while muttering something about her friend was really mean. "Aren't you happy with Nico-chan?"

The tips of Maki's ears reddened, forcing her to discreetly hide it behind her hair. "I – I think so?"

"That's no good, Maki-chan!" Honoka scolded, jumping forward at the first-year and puffing her cheeks out in disappointment. Maki jumped back. "You need to be more truthful. Nico-chan needs to know that she's making you happy. How will she understand if you're not honest?"

"I – uh – she – she does…" the younger girl confessed; her ears were starting to burn behind her hair.

The second-year smiled at her honesty. "Keeping it a secret is never going to be a pleasure," she stated. "But you have to support her because this is her future and we both know how hard Nico-chan is working. Put your trust in her, okay? She has bigger things coming her way and she'll need you when that times comes."

Maki stared at the wide smile her senior was giving her until the bell rang again, making both of them jump up in surprise. They had just missed two periods, giving them a few minutes of break before their next class. As they were about to open the door to the staircase, they heard a familiar voice yelling in the courtyard.

"Nico! You don't have time to talk to her now!"

They looked down to find Nico making her way towards the first-year classrooms, Eli and Nozomi following behind her as the Student Council President shouted for her to come back.

Nico turned around, her hands on her hips as both her friends reached her. "I can't get through another class while this is bothering me. Do you want me to fail in my last year?"

"She's right, Elichi," Nozomi stepped in. "She's not that far from repeating a year."

"That was unnecessary," the raven-haired growled, narrowing her eyes at the taller girl. "And I'm not doing _that_ badly."

"Nico, you can talk to her during lunch," the blonde said. "We don't have enough time to be doing this now."

"Well, that's because I'm wasting time talking to you," the smaller girl stated, turning around to continue her way towards to the underclassmen.

"Nico, wait!" Eli shouted, following after her, her partner not far behind.

Honoka giggled. "See, Nico-chan is worrying about it as much as you are."

Maki hummed in agreement, slightly smiling as the three third-years disappeared into the building.

"Nico-chan must really love you."

"What?! Lo – lo – love?!"

The ginger turned to her with wide eyes before realizing why the younger girl was getting all flustered. "It's nothing," she laughed. "Let's go before Nico-chan finds out you were alone with me."

"Ye – yeah."

"Oh, and Maki-chan." The redhead looked at Honoka. "Don't be afraid to be more honest."


	16. Chapter 15: Reserved

**Sorry this took so long; I had huge writer's block and I got super busy. But here you go! Thank you for sticking around! And if you want to read some more fanfics, you can follow me on tumblr (nikoxnii).**

 **See you guys next time (hopefully soon).**

 **The song that inspired this chapter was Letter by Yiruma.**

* * *

Maki watched curiously from the side as crew members went back and forth on the set, cameras shifted angles, extras stood where they were told to, the director shouted instructions from her seat, and Nico stood in the middle of it all. She had no idea how much time and effort it actually took to do these music videos and now that she was observing it, she was glad that she wasn't directly a part of it.

The third-year looked exhausted from all the dancing and jumping around she's been doing all day. It was the third day of filming for her debut song, but they've been stuck on this one scene that the director insisted they _have_ to do because it was just perfect for Nico's song. As much as Maki was getting tired of hearing that one part repeated over and over, she had to agree that filming in front of a giant pink teddy bear did fit her partner's song.

"Looks pretty tiring, right?" she heard someone say. Maki turned to find Honoka beside her, smiling as she watched Nico stroll down the sidewalk while several cameras filmed her from different sides.

Maki stayed quiet, as they had stopped filming again when one of the background extras bumped into Nico, but before the director could say anything, the small third-year started scolding him. "I think the better word is troublesome," the redhead sighed.

Honoka giggled. "You'll get used to these things," she stated. "It's always a little weird the first time."

"Cut! Cut! Cut!" This was probably the 100th time today that the first-year heard those words. "What do you two doing?" the director asked, pointing to two teenagers that stood not far from Nico. "You're ruining the whole shot! Ugh…we're taking a break."

The bright lights blacked out as the cameramen shut their respective cameras off; the director hopped off her chair, grumbling to herself as she walked away. Nico exhaled before slowly making her way towards Maki and Honoka.

"Don't make it obvious," the ginger-haired whispered.

"Make what obvious?" Maki asked, but before Honoka could reply, Nico had made it to them, slumping over in fatigue, her hair in a mess as sweat started to break out on her forehead.

"Why can't we just call it a day?" she sighed as soon as she was near enough, her pink dress that Kotori had designed in slight disarray.

Maki rolled her eyes. "I thought Super Idols never rest," the redhead stated, twirling a strand of hair.

"D – don't use that against me," Nico commanded, puffing her cheeks out. "It's not my fault that we've been doing this for hours." She looked at the two teenagers standing by the food table, crossing her arms and tapping her foot in irritation.

The first-year couldn't argue because she knew it was true. Ever since her debut, Nico's been busier than ever and the raven-haired knew how to manage time better than anyone else with the way her scheduling has been; Maki knew that her partner would want to be anywhere else on a Saturday instead of spending her time retaking different shots because of the mistake of the background extras. And Nico was excited for this whole thing, but she isn't one to be pushed behind for other's mistakes.

The redhead couldn't help but notice the sweat that was slowly rolling down Nico's face. Her dancing routine did look pretty exhausting and it wasn't the coolest of days either; Maki wanted to wipe it off with the small handkerchief in her pocket, but she knew that it'd be too suspicious –

"Maki-chan, what are you doing?"

Maki stiffened, her movements halted as she realized that she was already wiping the sweat off of the older girl causing everyone nearby to turn their heads with a look of surprise and curiosity. Honoka chuckled nervously, scratching the side of her head as Nico stared wide-eyed at her partner, the first-year slowly grabbing Nico's hand to place the cloth in it.

"You have sweat on your face," she replied casually as if nothing happened.

"Th – thanks."

The seconds passing by started to feel more like hours to Maki as everyone silently stared at them as if waiting for some big scoop to slam itself right in their faces. But losing interest, they all went back to their own business; Maki quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

"So how is filming going?" the second-year asked in hopes that the awkwardness would disappear.

Nico huffed. "It's going just fine," she replied, a little too sarcastically. Noticing her tone of voice, the third-year sighed. "I just wish that this wasn't so tiring; it'd be more fun that way. But I can't complain, I knew what I was getting myself into. Although, I didn't think Umi would be such an authoritarian; I feel bad for her future children."

"Oh, I think you should worry about yourself first."

Nico jolted before turning around, finding the blue-haired lyricist behind her with a vexed smile on her face. She hovered over the smaller third-year as Nico bit her lip and the ginger-haired took a few steps back, knowing full well just how scary her childhood friend could be.

Umi sighed. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? The break ends in five minutes. And I don't want to be wasting anymore time as much as you do."

"It's not my fault," the raven-haired pouted as if she was a little kid.

"I know it's not," the second-year replied, shaking her head. "But it's going to be if you don't get a move on. So let's go."

The third-year exhaled before whispering to Honoka, "How do you deal with this everyday?"

Umi's eyebrow twitched. "I think you need to hurry it up or you're going to regret it." Her hand clenched into a fist, making Nico jump up before she practically ran towards the crew tent to fix herself up.

"You shouldn't be so harsh, Umi-chan," Honoka spoke up with a weak chuckle. "Nico-chan is working hard already."

"I know, but we're on a schedule," the younger girl stated. "Kyoko-san told me to keep an eye on things here to make sure it's going as planned. Nico already has a radio interview after this, followed by a recording of her second song."

"She already has another song?" the ginger-haired asked with wide eyes.

The blue-haired nodded. "Kyoko-san suggested we started working on one right after she finished recording her debut one. Now she wants it recorded since Nico's first song is becoming popular."

"Oh! Isn't that great, Maki-chan? Nico-chan is living her dream!" Maki hummed without looking at Honoka, her eyes glued to her partner who was having a hard time fixing her hair. The two second-years didn't say anything as they stared in curiosity at the younger girl.

Umi looked at her childhood friend with a small frown as Honoka responded with a shrug before tapping the redhead on the shoulder. "Hey, Maki-chan, when is your competition?" she asked with a grin.

"It's next week Saturday," Maki replied nonchalantly as the raven-haired girl started making her way towards the set, telling the extras walking by not to screw things up.

"Mind if we go?" the ginger-haired girl asked.

This caught the first-year's attention as she turned to her seniors with an expression of utter surprise. "You – you want to go?"

Honoka nodded her head rapidly. "I did say I was a huge fan; hearing you play in person would make me so happy!" she replied with a wide smile. "Please, Maki-chan, please!"

The younger girl looked to Umi for help, but the blue-haired girl simply said, "I wouldn't mind hearing you participate as well. I think Kotori would love to hear you play."

"But – um…you see – "

"Aw, c'mon, Maki-chan," Honoka frowned. "We want to support you as friends."

"Fr – friends?" the redhead repeated.

"We're friends, aren't we?" she said. "Since you came to me seeking advice and all. Isn't that what friends do for each other?"

"It's just because – you know, you're the only one who would understand," Maki replied, trying to keep an apathetic look.

Honoka's bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "I get it, Maki-chan. I'm only there for your needs."

"N – no!" the younger girl retaliated loudly before she pulled back to her normal tone. "I mean, I guess we are friends."

The ginger perked up. "What was that?"

"We're…we're friends."

"Did you hear that, Umi-chan?" Honoka said, jumping towards her childhood friend. "Maki-chan just said we're friends! I told you I could get her to say it."

"Yes, yes, you told me," Umi replied. "But don't go abusing that title."

"Hmph…have some faith in me, Umi-chan," Honoka said in disappointment.

The blue-haired girl sighed. "I do have faith in you, Honoka," she stated, patting the older girl's head before the director yelled for everyone to get ready. "I have to go over there and make sure things are running smoothly." She walked away with a small wave; Honoka nodded as she waved back.

"So Maki-chan," she said, grabbing the younger girl's attention. "Shouldn't you be practicing for regionals with it being so close?"

"I practiced last night," the first-year quickly replied. "I'll be fine until after."

"After what?"

The redhead didn't answer, intensely watching the filming going on not too far from where they stood. It was going well until one of the background dancers bumped into another causing them to start from the beginning yet again. Nico groaned but walked towards her starting position. Honoka waited for a while before turning to watch Nico's music video as well, smiling to herself as she whispered, "I guess I don't need to ask."

* * *

"Nicocchi, wake up. You need to finish this before tomorrow."

"Break…break…break."

Nozomi giggled. "You had a break five minutes ago," she reminded, lifting the smaller girl's head off of her table. "This is due in the morning; at least finish this before you sleep."

"Ugh…fine," Nico complied, grabbing the pen she had dropped onto the ground and staring at the worksheet in front of her. She read the directions a few times before slamming her head back onto the table with a loud bang. Her forehead hurt, but she was too tired to care anymore. She just wanted to sleep. "I give up, Nozomi. Just let me fail."

"I don't think that's a very good idea," the purple-haired girl said, resting her chin in her open palm as she leaned on the surface. "'High school failure' doesn't sound very appealing for an idol."

The smaller girl sighed. "And grope master doesn't match shrine maiden but you don't see anyone saying anything," she argued back.

"Oh, then I guess you have to chose which tutor you want," the older girl said, slowly raising her hands. "Pure shrine maiden or washi washi mentor?"

Nico slowly backed up as her childhood friend moved towards her, her hands inching closer to her chest. "Shrine maiden! I pick shrine maiden!" the raven-haired shouted, her arms over her chest in protection.

The taller girl smiled triumphantly as she pulled away to sit back up. "I thought so." Nico twitched, but didn't say anymore as she turned back to her unfinished homework. Nozomi watched quietly as she scribbled a few words to answer the questions before she said, "So how's Maki-chan doing?"

"She's doing fine," was all Nico gave her.

"Hmm…she seems to be pretty busy too," the fortune-teller commented. "Other than practicing, I've noticed she's been following you around." She could see Nico slightly fidgeting in her seat. Nozomi smirked. "I wonder why."

"No reason," the raven-haired replied, tapping the pen against the table.

Nozomi inched closer to the younger girl. "Could it be that Maki-chan is keeping an eye on her rebellious partner to keep her in her place?" she teased.

"I don't need a babysitter!" Nico scoffed. "And if anything, I'm keeping _her_ in place." The purple-haired didn't move as she waited for Nico to continue with a sly smile on her face. "We're – we're just trying to spend time together cause – you know, we're both busy," she admitted.

"How sweet," Nozomi said, pinching her childhood friend's cheeks. "Maki-chan is so nice."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the smaller girl replied, swatting Nozomi's hand away.

It became quiet again as Nico wrote down more words, the only sound coming from her pen. The three younger ones had fallen asleep not too long ago and Nico wished she could join them soon, but she had things to finish. She knew it was going to be tough to keep up with her schoolwork now that her job as an idol was coming together, but she never imagined having to stay up at such an ungodly hour. The third-year wondered how her partner was able to do it almost every night, but yet again, Maki was a genius in school unlike Nico; a mere piece of paper wouldn't keep her up so late.

The older girl silently watched as Nico's face started to tense up; her eyebrows scrunching up, her teeth clenched as her lips twitched. "Nicocchi, are you okay?"

"Of course not!" the raven-haired shouted immediately. A hand slapped over her mouth right after as both girls stayed quiet to make sure they hadn't woken anyone up. When they didn't hear anything, Nico continued in a quieter tone: "I'm so stressed already. Just thinking about doing this the rest of the school year sounds so tiring."

Nozomi giggled. "Now you know how Maki-chan feels when she's stressing over school and her piano competitions."

"Yeah, but Maki-chan is smart," the younger girl groaned. "And she's been doing this for years; it's a routine for her."

"That's true, but now she has more to think about," the purple-haired stated with a grin.

Nico raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

"You."

"O – oh." The smaller girl turned back to her worksheet to hide the redness that was slowly starting to form on her face. "I – I guess I should tell her to focus on her competition for now so she doesn't need to follow me."

Nozomi frowned. "You really think she'll like that?" The raven-haired turned to her in confusion. "I know you mean well, but I think Maki-chan will feel bad if you tell her to stop."

The raven-haired looked down at her paper again in thought. Her childhood friend had a point and she knew how sensitive Maki could be at things like this; it was already bad enough that their partnership was being hidden so asking her to stop following her around would make things worse.

"Don't think so hard; your brain can't take so much," the fortune-teller mocked to which Nico narrowed her eyes at her. "Maki-chan is pretty understanding; worrying too much will only lead to negative results. Just support her like you've always been doing. Things will work out on it's own."

"Hmm…is that so?" Nico replied, lying down to look at the ceiling. "I guess you're right."

The taller girl hummed in agreement. "You have a chance to show her this coming Saturday," she said with a wink. "Don't forget about it."

"Tch, why would I ever forget something so important?" the younger girl replied in annoyance. Nozomi shrugged before looking back at Nico's unfinished paper as the raven-haired groaned in exhaustion.

 _This Saturday, huh?_

* * *

"Maki-chan! Maki-chan! Maki-chan!"

Maki tried her best to avoid the air attack from Rin, but the orange-haired was too fast for her, grabbing onto her with her swift movements and clinging onto her tightly without a care for the older girl's agitated expression.

"Maki-chan! I'm so excited, nya! You're finally competing!" she exclaimed, hopping on the balls of her feet, shaking the redhead in the process.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo nervously cut in, taking notice of her friend's annoyed look. "We shouldn't mess up Maki-chan's outfit. Kotori-senpai spent time on it."

The orange ball of energy stopped jumping to let go of Maki who quickly fixed herself, but with little success. She sighed as Rin chuckled weakly, realizing what a mess she made of her friend.

"Let me help you." Maki turned to find Kotori and Umi behind her; the ash-haired girl smoothened the dress she had designed and made, putting it back in its neat state before she started to fix the first-year's hair, tying it to a side ponytail.

"What's this?" the redhead asked, noticing the red ribbon her senior used to keep her hair in place.

Kotori smiled. "Nico-chan told me to give this to you," she stated. "Something about being a good luck charm."

Maki covered her ears to hide the redness that was showing, trying her best not to look so flustered as she turned away from the two second-years. "Th – thanks," was all she said before she heard another familiar voice.

"Maaaaki-chan!" Honoka started speed walking towards the small group with Tsubasa not far behind, trying not to attract so much attention, but knowing she was failing when her partner was practically yelling.

"Maki-chan! You look so pretty!" the ginger commented, taking a good look at the first-year with wide eyes. "I'm so excited to see you perform live. I bet it'll sound so much better than all those recorded videos. You'll definitely win."

"Honoka, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Umi said. "We don't want to get Maki's hopes up so early in the competition."

Honoka pouted. "Why are so pessimistic, Umi-chan?"

"Umi just doesn't want Maki to feel overconfident," Tsubasa replied with a knowing smile.

"Why do you always take her side, Tsubasa-chan?" the ginger-haired girl asked with a frown. The idol merely giggled as she patted her partner's head; Honoka seemed content with this sort of response, chuckling alongside Tsubasa.

"I hope we're not late," Maki heard Eli as her and Nozomi entered the conversation.

"Eli-chan! Nozomi-chan! Doesn't Maki-chan look so pretty?" Honoka blurted out, making the first-year's cheeks blush quickly.

Nozomi took notice of it first. "Yes she does," she replied, smiling sweetly at Maki. "I'm sure Nicocchi will just die to see how cute her partner looks." The redhead breathed a sharp intake of air.

"Don't get her all flustered, Nozomi," Eli scolded. "She needs to concentrate."

"Ah, that's right," the fortune-teller said as if she only realized that now.

Maki's eyes darted around the hallway crowded with people – supporters and competitors – looking for the one person who wasn't present yet. The other girls quietly watched her before Umi stepped in.

"Nico said she'll be here as soon as she's done with her recording," she stated with a small grin as if she was trying to be reassuring. "She said not to worry about it and that she'll definitely be here."

The redhead stopped looking around the room, her eyes catching a familiar looking face coming through the crowd. He made his way towards them, stopping for a minute when he realized how big of a group was around the redhead before hesitantly making his way towards them when he realized that Maki already caught sight of him.

Noticing Maki's staring, the rest of the girls watched as Ryuu made his way towards Maki, trying to keep his composure by ignoring the other girls. Maki raised an eyebrow as he kept eye contact with her; it was awfully quiet as everyone stared at the boy in the middle of the circle.

"Well, we'll be taking our seats now," Nozomi stated, grabbing onto Eli's hand. "We'll be cheering for you, Maki-chan."

"Good luck, Maki," the blonde added with a smile.

"You can do it, Maki-chan!" Honoka jumped in as Tsubasa silently agreed with a nod.

"Just have fun," Kotori advised.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," Umi assured her as they followed the third-years into the auditorium.

"Good luck, Maki-chan," Hanayo said before Rin jumped in between them in excitement.

"Maki-chan is number one, nya!" she cheered before they left their friend to be alone with Ryuu who had been nervously looking at her the whole time.

The first-year gave Ryuu a few more minutes before she sighed and said, "Are you going to say something or are you just going to stand there?"

As if he had just woken up, the second-year jumped in surprise. "Uh…right," was all he said before it got quiet again. Maki sighed again in annoyance, but before she could say anything, he continued: "I just wanted to wish you…good luck."

"Thanks."

Ryuu gulped but didn't say anymore as Maki started to play with her ponytail. He was looking at the floor, his nose going slightly red; he swallowed again as his gaze shifted back to the redhead.

"Nico's very lucky," he muttered anxiously. He started to fidget from Maki's surprised staring. "I better go find my seat. Good luck again." Ryuu unconsciously bowed, stopping midway through to mentally slap himself before he quickly walked away with embarrassment.

The first-year grinned, placing a hand over the ribbon Kotori had put on for her. Hearing for the competitors to head over to the waiting room, Maki strode through the large hallway, her heart beating rapidly against her chest as reality started to hit her. Faces of people she's seen on TV and names she's read on newspapers countless times going in the same direction made her feel the weight of pressure she had been easily dodging for the past few days.

She checked her phone and smiled when Nico's name had popped up on the front screen.

 _I'll be there as soon. Do your best, Maki-chan!_

* * *

Maki practiced the song in her head more than a hundred times now, her fingers tapping at her legs as she hummed to herself. Everybody else seemed to be doing the same thing and it made her feel a little less nervous to see such well-known young pianists just as edgy as she was.

"Nishikino Maki!"

The redhead instantly stood up, seeing a man dressed in a white button down and black slacks with a clipboard in his hand looking around the room for her. She made her way towards him, introducing herself as Nishikino.

"You ready?" he asked, a small grin on his face. The younger girl nodded as he opened the door to let her through first.

They walked down the now empty hall towards the backstage; it felt just like the district competition, the slow trek and the thumping heartbeat, the sound of a competitor's playing blasting through the closed double doors of the auditorium to the outside. It was a fast-paced melody, making Maki feel a little energetic as it reached her ears.

"This way, Nishikino-san," the man said, opening the doors for her to step through. The rhythm had ended as people clapped before the young female walked off stage as the crowd died down for the announcement of the next artist. The young man who had left before Maki now made his way into the shining lights of the stage as the redhead looked out curiously.

The room was bigger than the one she played in at the district competition; she took a deep breath as the competitor started to play his piece. Maki closed her eyes, focusing on only the sounds the piano was emitting, keeping herself calm.

"Feeling nervous there, Nishikino-san?" she heard a voice say beside her as a hand rested on her shoulder.

"Aoi?" Maki did a double take, staring at the college student who was dressed like all the backstage helpers. "What are you doing here?"

The older girl giggled. "Well, they needed more help and Mori-sensei asked if I would take the job," she explained. "I took it so I could see you before you went out there and killed it."

Maki sighed. "Don't put so much pressure on me."

"You'll do just great, Maki-chan," Aoi winked. "I see you made friends too. They're all so lovely for coming all this way to see you perform."

The first-year blushed at the statement, turning away to hide the redness in the darkness of the backstage. But by the way Aoi chuckled, she knew the older girl saw.

"Don't be so shy," she said, giving the younger girl a toothy smile. "I think it's nice to see that you're enjoying high school. And they all looked so excited to be here."

Aoi peeked out a little and the redhead followed, only being able to see Eli, Nozomi, and Kotori through the blinding lights. She slightly grinned to herself as the young man pressed the final key to his piece, everyone clapping as he stood up from the bench to bow before making his way off the stage.

Maki's heart leaped out of her chest, her eyes going wide when she realized she was next. Aoi giggled before hugging the younger girl tightly but gently so she wouldn't mess up her clothes.

"Break a leg," she whispered when she let her go as Maki's name was announced.

The first-year stepped out on stage, slowly striding towards the grand piano that sat in the middle of the large space. The clapping had ended as she sat down, fixing the music sheets that sat there in front of her. She silently read the notes in her head before she placed shaking fingers on the piano keys.

Taking a deep breath, Maki started to play with fluidity, almost as if she wasn't competing, as if she was sitting in Mori-sensei's studio room, practicing as the old teacher listened from the corner of his room. The feeling of playing such a graceful instrument mixed with the adrenaline of playing against determined pianists like her made her feel excited; the nervousness she had once felt quickly disappearing.

But most of all, it was the song, the melody, and the reason she had wrote it in the first place. Then she saw it: three pairs of red eyes looking at her with wonder and eagerness, the way they smiled at her despite the unfamiliarity that hung in the air. The way they pulled her around, dragging her to play with them whenever she was around and despite the subtle protests from the older girl, she was glad that they enjoyed her company.

The three little rascals who didn't know how to keep still; the three troublemakers who enjoyed the little things in life and laughed even when times were tough. Maki loved their little grins and their persistent attitudes – the little versions of their older sister.

The last key was pressed and in realization, Maki looked out – or tried to – in the crowd that had started clapping loudly. She breathed a sigh of relief as she stood up, bowing once and slowly walking off stage to be met with another hug from Aoi who was waiting for her.

"I hope Nico-chan gets the message," the older girl lightly teased.

Maki looked back at the stage behind her, but was unable to see anything passed the edge of the stage. A grin formed on her lips. "I hope so too."

* * *

Maki nervously stood on the stage in between two other competitors. She had made the top five and was now waiting for the final results. The auditorium was quiet, only hushed whispers resounding in the room as the shuffle of papers can be clearly heard from the judges' table.

The redhead watched the four judges talk amongst themselves, going through papers of what Maki assumed were their score sheets. She tried to look passed the shining lights but wasn't really able to make out anyone's faces; and it didn't help that she was edgier than ever, but had to contain it since she was in front of a huge crowd.

"Judges, it is time to make a decision," the host announced, standing on the podium at the edge of the stage, also watching the four of them talking in a quiet and calm manner.

One of the judges stood up: he was lean and old looking, his graying hair falling over his ears while his glasses slid down his nose. He looked down at his paper and cleared his throat before looking up at the remaining five competitors.

"On behalf of the judges and of all the supporters here tonight," he started with a small grin, "I would like to express my deepest congratulations for making it to the regionals, giving us all an opportunity to see and hear just how talented every single one of you are." Clapping erupted in the auditorium and then quickly died down again.

"But it is also my deepest regret that we can only choose one of you to continue your journey through this very competitive contest," he continued and that's when Maki's breath hitched. "That does not mean one is better than the other; it only means to work harder and keep playing, not just for the sake of this competition, but for yourself as well."

"So without further delay…" He cleared his throat once again. "I would like to announce the first place winner who will be continuing onto the national competition."

The large room suddenly became silent, quieter than ever that if you coughed just a little, everyone would be able to hear it. It made the atmosphere around Maki feel even more nerve wrecking; she could hear the two people beside her breathe heavily as they looked out passed the stage.

"This year's winner who will represent Tokyo in the National Competition is…"

Maki's took one last inhale.

"…Miyamoto Takeo!"

That wasn't her name. The judge had said someone else's name. It wasn't her. She didn't win. She didn't make it. She wasn't going to nationals.

She finally looked out into the crowd as the boy who was named first place made his way to the middle of the stage, waving and bowing happily as his supporters got louder. The two other girls silently teared as the other boy next to Maki fixed his gaze on the floor, shaking her head slowly from side to side.

Maki looked to the side of the stage where she saw Aoi, her eyes watery at the realization that her junior had lost. She turned back to the crowd; finally being able to look passed the lights to find Mori-sensei, giving her a reassuring grin. Not far from where he sat, her mother was also trying to hold back tears as she waved at her daughter.

The first-year turned away from her, knowing if she stared too long, she might find herself crying too, but then she found her friends, sitting together as they slowly clapped with downcast eyes, watching the redhead for her reaction. They tried to smile passed their obvious disappointment. Then she looked to the right of the purple-haired senior, the seat Nico was at, and that's when she felt it.

The hot tears running down her face as she stared; too upset to even wipe the water running down her cheeks. She closed her eyes shut before she put her hands over them. Her heart feeling just as the seat next to Nozomi was:

Empty.

* * *

 **Ask and you shall receive, Buttress Lover.**


	17. Chapter 16: The Call

**Thank you for the reviews; because of them, I really wanted to give to you guys faster, but there was just so many things I wanted to convey. I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

Nico ran as fast as she could; her lungs burning and her throat dry, the autumn wind blowing against her. She had no idea how her feet were still moving despite the tightness she felt in her calves. But she did want to thank all those dance practices for building up her stamina.

She stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, waiting impatiently for the pedestrian light to turn green. Hunched over in exhaustion, she looked over to the other side of the street, her eyes widening when she saw groups of people walking out of the building. Nico stood straight up as soon as it was safe enough, jogging to the other end and into the building while dodging people going out.

It was still a bit crowded in the hallway – family members, supports, and participants standing around, making it harder for the small third-year to find a familiar face. But as she quickly passed the open doors of the auditorium, she knew, without a doubt, that she had missed the entire competition.

"Nico!"

The raven-haired turned to find Eli, Nozomi, and Hanayo standing not too far from where she was at, the blonde waving her hand in the air to get her attention. Nico took one last look into the empty room before slowly walking over to the three girls.

"I was beginning to wonder where you were," Nozomi said as soon as the smaller girl made it over to them. "How was recording?"

Nico knew her childhood friend was just trying to avoid the fact that she had missed such an important event, but she decided to go along with it because she wasn't ready to accept it either.

"It went fine," she replied, looking around the still crowded lobby area.

The three girls watched her for a while before Eli spoke up: "Your new song ready then?"

Nico hummed. Hanayo stepped in: "That must be exciting; I'm sure your fans are dying for more of your songs."

"Maybe," Nico responded unconsciously, turning her head back and forth to find some sort of red in the hoard of people.

Eli, Nozomi, and Hanayo looked at each other uncomfortably as if waiting for one of them to break the tension they started to feel. Nico noticed their fidgeting, none of them making any eye contact with her in the hopes that she wouldn't ask them anything.

"What's going on? Do you three need the bathroom?" the third-year asked with a raised eyebrow.

Instantly, they all stopped to look her directly in the eye, a frown on each of their faces. As if she was a baby imitating them, Nico's mouth contorted into a frown as well, her eyes darting from one to the other.

"Nico-chan…" Hanayo broke the silence. "Maki-chan – "

"We can't find her, nya!" Rin suddenly appeared, jumping onto Hanayo, which scared the younger girl as she caught herself before falling forward.

Honoka and Tsubasa followed behind the first-year. "They said she was the first to leave the waiting area," the ginger added.

"Which was twenty minutes before we got out of the auditorium," Tsubasa informed them. "She could be anywhere by now."

Before Nico could speak, Umi and Kotori came back as well, their faces showing no sign of success on their part.

"Aoi-san is asking around to keep a look out for her," the blue-haired announced. "So we have more eyes."

"I hope Maki-chan is okay," Kotori said, her hands clasped and held to her lips. "She looked really upset."

"Of course she's upset," Honoka replied. "Anyone would be upset."

Tsubasa sighed. "I understand how she feels. It's not the greatest feeling in the world either. But I do hope she doesn't let this stop her."

Nico opened her mouth, but was once again ignored as Rin grabbed onto her partner's sleeve, pulling her in exasperation: "C'mon, Kayochin! We need to find her!"

"Wa – wait, Rin-chan," she gasped. "We can't just aimlessly walk around."

"She's got a point," Eli stepped in to which Rin stopped her desperate pulling. "We need to narrow our search."

"Well I think I heard someone say that she went in the direction of the park," Umi remembered.

"So we should start there!" Honoka exclaimed.

"Excuse me."

They all turned to Nico, her annoyed expression alarming all of them. She tapped her foot in impatience with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "Is someone going to update me on what's going on?"

"Um…I think I'm going to look over there," Honoka said, pointing in the total opposite direction of where she was supposed to look. "Let's go, Tsubasa-chan."

"We – we'll go with you," Umi suggested, her hands clumsily missing Kotori's hand the longer she looked at the frustrated third-year. Noticing the light hand brushes, the ash-haired girl grabbed on to her partner's hand before the four of them walked away.

Hanayo fidgeted in her position; Rin took notice. "Kayochin and I will look over there, nya," she chuckled nervously and with that, they took off in a hurry.

Nico watched them walk away before turning her attention to the two remaining girls. They seemed more composed than the others and that gave Nico a little assurance, but their depressed facial expressions said something more.

"Nicocchi…" the purple-haired started with a sigh, "maybe we should look for Maki-chan."

"Not until you tell me what happened," the smaller girl demanded. "Why can't anyone find her?"

The partners exchanged glances as if Nozomi was telling Eli that it was her turn to speak. "Maki…she didn't win, Nico," the blonde concluded. Nico's eyes widened as she continued. "She placed second which means – "

"She's not going nationals…" Nico finished in crushing realization.

"Nicocchi – "

"I have to find her," she interrupted in a panic, looking left and right.

"Nico, I don't think – "

Ignoring her two friends, the smaller girl ran off, slipping passed bodies of people until she made it through the exit. She knew what they were going to say and she didn't want to hear it, but they didn't stop her and she felt a little glad that they still had faith in her. She strode out the door, almost bumping into Rin and Hanayo who were jogging passed.

"Nico-chan, we found her," Hanayo informed her, slightly out of breath.

"Where?!" Nico yelled back, making both first-years jump back in surprise.

"Someone said they saw her walking towards the park," the orange-haired girl replied. "We were headed there now."

"Okay! Thanks!" The older girl waved as she ran towards the nearby park, stopping only when she had to cross the street. She really had to thank those practices; she never ran so much in her life.

Once she had made it to the park, she stopped to catch her breath, looking in all directions for any sign of her partner. The thoughts she had pushed back a while ago resurfaced, the anger and disappointment she had held in when she saw the empty auditorium felt like it was punching her in the stomach.

Why wasn't she there? How could she let such an important thing slip her mind even for a minute? She was too absorbed to even remember the time. She could remember the panic she had felt when she saw all those missed calls from Eli and Umi, all those text messages from Nozomi and Tsubasa. She remembered putting all her frustration at herself onto the driver, blaming him for the traffic, telling him to get a move on, knowing full well that there was no where he could go.

Nico looked up, seeing the once blue sky slowly turn to a dark shade of gray as a cloud rolled over the sun to warn those nearby of the upcoming rain. The third-year had to find her soon or Maki would get caught in it.

Her tired legs began to move, her red eyes glancing in every area. The park was fairly empty except for a few couples and families strolling around before the rain can take over what was a nice day.

"Maki-chan!" the third-year called out. "Maki-chan! Where are you?" She looked around. "It's going to start raining! Maki-chan!" Nico looked back up as darkness started to surround the park.

The raven-haired stopped her shouting as soon as she saw it: red hair flowing with the harsh wind. Her back was turned as she stood there almost motionlessly, looking out to the river and unaffected by the dark clouds in the sky.

Nico strode over to her, making sure to keep an eye on the weather. The cloud started to look heavier by the second and the third-year didn't want to stick around out in the open to see just how much water will be falling out of it.

"Maki-chan!" she called out as soon as she was close enough. The redhead didn't react. "Maki-chan," she repeated with urgency. "What are you doing? It's going to rain cats and dogs pretty soon. Let's find shelter."

The first-year didn't turn around or respond, still looking out towards the small, flowing riverbank. Nico waited for some sort of reply, but when nothing came, she grabbed on to the younger girl's wrist only for Maki to harshly pull away.

"Why?"

"Huh? What do you mean why?" Nico asked in confusion. "Because it's going to rain soon and I don't want you to get sick."

"Now you care?" Maki growled without looking over at the smaller girl.

Nico jumped back in surprise. She had been expecting this, but she didn't really prepare herself for it. She knew she deserved it. "Maki-chan, we can talk about this when we find some cover – "

"I don't want to be anywhere near you," she replied coldly.

Nico could feel the subtle drizzle of rain falling from the sky. She looked up before trying to grab on to Maki's wrist again, only to miss when the redhead moved her arm to be out of reach. She turned her head to scowl at the older girl; Nico took a few steps back from the threatening glare.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

The third-year could feel the fear rising in her chest. Maki was looking at her with such hostile eyes; that warm feeling she always emitted drowned out by the chill of her emotions. Nico knew she messed up and she messed up big time, but she never knew the taller girl could give off such an unwelcoming, almost ruthless air.

She didn't know what to say, the words getting stuck in her throat as it tried to make its way out. "Maki-chan – "

"Why?" she interrupted in a harsh whisper.

"Why what?"

Her teeth clenched as she fully turned around in irritation to get a better look at Nico and that's when the older girl noticed the slight puffiness around her eyes. "Why?!" she shouted that the raven-haired jerked. "Why weren't you there?!" She pointed at the building with a shaking finger. "You said you'd be there! So why was it empty?!"

Nico bit her lip; she had no excuses. "I – I didn't mean to…"

She regretted saying it when she saw the look on Maki's face tighten. "You didn't mean to?" she repeated in disbelief. "Unbelievable. You expect me to just accept that answer willingly and forgive you?"

"No! It's just that I – "

"You're an idol," Maki finished. "You have songs to sing and dance routines to practice. You have fans to please and interviews to go to. But nowhere in your idol world do you have a partner to be there for when she needs you. I'm not part of your schedule because I don't exist."

The words hit the third-year harder than ever; her heart felt like it was being squeezed.

The rain started to pick up, the small drops suddenly becoming fatter as it splattered onto the ground and fell on the two girls, but they made no effort to hide from it; a cold was better than the pain they felt now.

"Maki-chan, I'm sorry," Nico managed to say.

The first-year's hands started to tremble as water welled up in her eyes. "I don't want your stupid apologize," she croaked out, the anger and frustration taking over. She felt the water running down her face; she desperately tried to wipe it away, but it was completely useless.

"Maki-chan…" she heard Nico say. The older girl took a step forward, her red eyes gleaming with remorse and sorrow. She wanted Nico to hold her, but at the same time, she didn't want to be anywhere near her.

Nico pulled her hands up, inching closer to the taller girl's face to wipe the tears falling down. But before she could touch the tender skin, Maki grabbed on to her wrists, halting any more movement.

"I can't, Nico," she whispered, her eyes shut as more water fell from them. "Not now."

The casual calling of her name pressed her heart deeper into despair. "You can't what?" She didn't really want to ask, but she wasn't about to end the conversation like that.

Maki opened her eyes to look at her partner, her nose turning a slight shade of pink from the crying. She let go of the raven-haired's arms, but Nico made no attempt to wipe the tears as she watched the younger girl pull out something from her jacket pocket before she shoved it against the smaller girl's chest.

"I can't do this right now," the redhead stated, the rain poured even harder. Their clothes started to stick against their body, their hair falling flat against their face. But they didn't dare move as they stared at each other, waiting from one of them to say something.

"I'm sorry," the first-year choked, slowly shaking her head. "You can do whatever you want with it. But please, just don't give it back to me." Nico could feel her hand trembling against her chest, but decided to let Maki continue, mostly because she was a lost for words. "I can't…"

"Maki-chan, I can – "

"No!" Nico straightened up. "You can't do anything, Nico…you can't," Maki cried, looking down to the ground in pain, making her tears splash with the rain. "This was so important to me. This meant so much to me and I needed you there." The raven-haired could feel the water building up in her eyes. "I don't want to see you. Please don't bother me."

Maki pulled her hand away, the item dropping onto the ground in the process. She turned to leave, walking against the harsh wind and the rain towards the train station. Nico watched her in silence, too stunned and ashamed to go after her, Maki's last words ringing in her ears.

Her heart tightened as the distance between them grew. The sight was unbearable that she forced herself to look away. Nico's gaze focused on the ground, the small object that Maki had dropped caught her attention. She picked it up, the water finally breaking out as she clutched the small article in her hand.

The silver bracelet with her name etched into it: a symbol of their partnership.

* * *

Maki felt heavier than usual: physically, she was a slight mess; mentally, it was chaotic. It's been a little more than two week since the regionals, but she didn't feel the need or want to touch a piano. She hadn't stepped into the studio since that day, unable to bring herself to write any songs. Every time someone had brought up the competition, she felt her heart drop a million miles down. And every time someone mentioned Nico, it fell even deeper.

"Maki-chan," she heard Hanayo say. The redhead turned to her friend with a vacant expression, but the younger girl didn't react since she was expecting it. The first time, she had jumped behind Rin in a fright, now she was slightly smiling in an attempt to cheer up her friend. "How would you like to come with Rin-chan and me to the carnival next weekend?"

"I'll pass," Maki declined, waving her hand to dismiss her.

"Aw, Maki-chan…" Rin pouted, jumping into the conversation. "You need to have fun! C'mon, let's go! At least for a few hours."

The older girl ignored her, popping in her earphones in an attempt to end the discussion. But before she could actually play anything, Rin had ripped them back out and put her face right in front of Maki's, her eyebrows scrunched up in irritation.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," Rin said bluntly that Hanayo gasped. "You're a great piano player! Don't think any differently. You won't be able to help yourself by sulking, nya."

"Rin-chan!" the brown-haired girl scolded that Rin had jumped up in nervousness, realizing what she had just said. "Maki-chan just needs some time; you shouldn't push her."

"I'm sorry," Rin said with a look of disappointment.

The redhead stood up from her seat, startling her two friends. "Rin is right," she started that both Rin and Hanayo jumped. "I'll join you guys if you'd let me."

The partners looked back at each other, their faces turning from shock to happiness. Rin sprung towards the older girl, wrapping her arms around her neck; something she hadn't done in a while.

"Maki-chan is finally going to hang out with us, nya!" she exclaimed.

"It – it's not like I wanted to," Maki protested, pretending to get the orange-haired girl off of her.

"You can be a tsundere if you want, Maki-chan," Rin added.

The classroom door slid open before the redhead could say anything; every single first-year turning their attention to the Student Council President who was standing by the door. Eli's blue orbs scanned the room for a moment until she had met Maki's amethyst ones.

"Maki, can I speak with you for a moment?" she asked politely, a small smile playing on her face.

Some girls started to whisper, mostly asking why the president wanted to see the redhead at such a random time. There was no doubt some rumors would start because of this, but Maki had no time to worry about it as she made her way towards the exit to follow the older girl out.

They walked in silence down the hallway, a few students curiously staring. Maki kept her gaze fixed on the taller girl's back and exhaled in disbelief.

"Sorry for taking time out of your lunch," Eli stated, glancing back at the redhead. "I know I should've waited till after school so it wouldn't cause suspicion, but I had a feeling you'd be busy."

"It's fine," Maki replied as they reached the Student Council's room. The blonde opened the door to walk in first while the first-year quickly followed inside, sliding the door closed behind her. It was so much quieter in here than the hallway outside.

Eli walked towards her usual seat at the head of the table; sitting herself down before saying with a grin, "Sit wherever you like."

The first-year walked towards one of the chairs, sitting down as she looked at the older girl with skepticism. Eli's smile wasn't helping either and it was becoming increasingly awkward for Maki.

"So…" she started, hoping the blonde would enlighten her, but when she kept on smiling, Maki continued: "How has your day been?"

"Seen Nico lately?" Eli asked abruptly, ignoring Maki's question entirely. _This escalated rather quickly._

The name of the raven-haired girl made Maki's heart weigh a ton on the inside, but she did everything in her willpower to remain indifferent on the outside. "Not really," she answered a little too harshly.

Eli smiled, a hint of sadness behind it as she stood up from her chair to walk back to the door. "Is that so?" she said. "I guess that's it then."

The first-year sat up in astonishment; had she said something wrong? She only answered the question truthfully.

"Wait!" Maki shouted before she could stop herself. The third-year turned around, the door half opened with one foot out of the room. "Is – is that the only reason you called me here?"

The blonde grinned, closing the door before making her way to the seat next to Maki. She sat down gracefully and tucked her hair behind her ear as she crossed her legs and flattened her skirt down. The redhead hadn't realized this before, but Eli was gorgeous.

Shaking the weird thought out of her head, Maki started, "Why did you bring me here?"

"It's about Nico," Eli replied, ignoring the slight twitch in the first-year's face. "I think you should talk to her."

Maki felt her face heat up as she calmly said, "I don't have a reason to talk to her."

"I think you have a lot of reasons to talk to her," the blonde stated matter-of-factly. "Don't you think you can at least hear her out? I know she made a simple mistake – "

"It was more than just _simple,_ " Maki growled, cutting off the older girl.

Eli frowned. "Maki, just listen to what she has to say. I'm sure you'll understand."

"Understand what?" the redhead spat, the same anger from that day resurfacing. She was even so good at containing it. "Understand that she wasn't there? Understand that she _forgot_ all about it? Understand that when I needed her, she was nowhere to be seen?" Maki stood up, her chair nearly falling backwards from the sudden movement. "Just _what_ do you want me to understand, Eli?"

The blonde didn't react; her poised exterior started to piss the younger girl off. Eli looked both stern, but worried as she kept eye contact with the furious redhead, waiting for her to calm down. But Maki had no time for this and she wasn't going to stand around to be lectured by someone who didn't know how it felt to be hurtfully let down by their partner.

The first-year stomped around the still seated president, heading for the exit when Eli finally spoke up without turning around or standing up.

"Maki," she started, the redhead stopping right in front of the doorway. "Whatever happens, don't go to the department."

In slight curiosity, the younger girl asked, "Why?"

Eli stood up to look at the first-year, concern donning her face. "Believe me; no matter the situation, ending a partnership isn't a solution. It just brings even more pain."

The first-year clenched her fist, nearly biting her tongue. Without saying another word, she slammed the door open, marching out without shutting it, too bitter to look back as her pace picked up speed. The only thing she could think about was the fact that Eli didn't know what she was talking about. And Maki wasn't going to listen to her.

* * *

"Okay, that's it for today."

Nico chugged the rest of her water as she wiped the gleaming sweat off of her face, Nozomi watching her with a smile.

"Working hard again, Nicocchi?" she commented.

"Well, I have to," Nico replied with no interest. "How else am I supposed to gain fans if I slack off?"

The taller girl just hummed in agreement as Nico gathered her things together. Dance practices had become a little less tiring compared to the first few weeks and she glad she had things like this to keep her distracted. But with the way Nozomi had been following her for the past month now, she knew she wasn't hiding it very well.

"Ready?" the purple-haired girl asked, picking up her school bag and slinging it on to her shoulder. It was a Saturday and Nozomi had offered to help her with homework despite the fact that Nico insisted she didn't need any today.

Nico nodded as they walked out the studio and down the small hallway towards the elevator. It was early in the afternoon and the raven-haired hadn't eaten anything, her stomach growling rather loudly as Nozomi snickered.

"Sh – shut up!" she retaliated. "I haven't eaten anything since breakfast."

"Why don't we stop by to get food on the way home?" the older girl suggested as they stepped onto the elevator. Nico was glad this one didn't have a window.

"Sure, but I told you I don't need any help this weekend," Nico reminded her. "It's only a few reading materials and a worksheet. I can't mess that up."

Nozomi patted the smaller girl's back. "Oh, Nicocchi, can't a person help out their childhood friend without being asked?" she replied.

Nico sighed. "I'm fine, Nozomi. It's been a month now."

The purple-haired girl looked forward as the elevator dinged open. "That's the problem," she muttered, walking out first.

The younger girl followed. "Nozomi, look at me," she said, stretching her arms out so her childhood friend could take a good look at her. "I'm fine; there's nothing wrong. Maki-chan just needs time – "

"You've given her enough time," Nozomi interrupted, the smile fading from her lips, a bothered expression taking over. "Why won't you talk to her?"

Nico looked down to the ground. "She doesn't want to see me," she said, remembering the words that had fallen out of the first-year's mouth.

"Well, what if she does?"

"Then why hasn't she made any effort?" Nico asked, her wistful eyes staring into Nozomi's that she could feel her heart breaking. "She said it herself: 'please don't bother me.' I think that says it loud and clear what she wants. Don't you think I did enough damage?"

"What are you going to do with her bracelet?" Nozomi asked, looking down at Nico's coat pocket.

Nico touched the area, making sure it was still there, her heart aching as her fingers traced over her name. "I'll give it to her when she's ready."

"You know what it means if she doesn't accept it, right?"

Anger bubbled up as Nico quickly shouted back, "Of course I know what it means! That's why I haven't tried; I don't want to hear it!"

The older girl stared, thinking of way to convince Nico, but nothing came up as the smaller girl exhaled loudly and started to walk passed her.

"I'll see you on Monday," she said, trying not to look at the taller girl's downcast expression.

"Nicocchi, you shouldn't push yourself too hard," Nozomi advised, turning around with a small grin on her face; the raven-haired could see how forced it was. "You'll get yourself sick like that."

"I'll be fine," she replied, glancing back at the older girl one last time before leaving her behind to head towards the train station; tears welling up as the distance grew.

* * *

"Maki-chan! Look! Look!"

Before Maki could even turn to where her friend was pointing, Rin had grabbed her and dragged her closer to it. It was a huge stuffed alpaca that sat on the shelf of one of the carnival games. And Rin wanted it.

"Think you can win it, young lady?" the guy manning the booth asked with a smile.

"Maki-chan! I have to win that, nya!" Rin exclaimed, jumping up and down as Maki's eyes followed her tireless movements

The orange-haired girl paid the guy as he gave her five balls to throw at the stack of pins across from her. Maki stood behind her, disinterested in the game, but she had nowhere else to go since Hanayo ran off without really saying where she was going.

Rin grabbed one of the balls, tossing it up a few times before throwing it as hard as she could, hitting the perfect stack in one try. The guy stood there in shock and Maki simply shook her head: he had no idea what he was in for.

He took the stuffed alpaca off the shelf and handed it over to Rin would hugged it tightly with glee.

"Oh, Maki-chan!" she jumped, pointing to another stand not to far away. One of the main prizes had caught her eye: it was stuffed panda. "You should get that for Nico-cha – " Maki shot a look at Rin, " – aaaaaa…I mean, look there's Kayochin, nya!"

 _Nice save, Rin._

Hanayo came walking back, carrying what looked like to be idol merchandise. The two girls watched her as she made her way towards them, clutching the items in her hands with a huge smile on her face.

"Kayochin sure loves idols," Rin remarked with a laugh.

The brown-haired girl smirked. "Well, I do have to show Nico-cha –"

Maki raised an eyebrow incredulously as Rin rapidly shook her head from behind her.

" – aaaaaaa….what's that?!" Hanayo finished in a panic, pointing to the same panda that Rin saw.

"You two are something else," Maki stated, pinching the bridge of her nose before her phone started to ring in her pocket. She took it out without looking at the name, pressing the decline button with her two friends watching her.

"You're not going to get that?" Rin asked.

Maki shrugged. "I'll get it later."

Rin and Hanayo exchanged doubtful glances, but didn't say anymore as the three of them made their way to the other game with the stuffed panda. Maki knew it was because no matter what they said, she wouldn't listen. She knew she was being stubborn, but she wasn't ready.

"What do I have to do to get the panda, nya?" Rin asked the girl behind the counter.

"All you have to do is shoot ten baskets in a row," she stated. "Do that, the panda is all yours."

"All right!" Rin shouted, putting down her money. "Watch me, Kayochin!"

Rin was handed five basketballs, Maki and Hanayo standing beside each other as they observed the orange-haired girl's exaggerated arm stretches. And it was at that moment that the redhead heard a familiar voice, her heart stopping as she looked frantically around the crowd for the source.

It was Nico's voice and it was making her feel almost uncomfortable. She had been searching for the sound that she didn't realize Hanayo had been watching her.

"Maki-chan," she started, grabbing the older girl's attention. "It's just the radio." She pointed to the small radio that sat next to the girl inside the booth. The redhead breathed a sign of relief before her friend asked, "When are you going to talk to her?"

Maki twitched, but didn't let her annoyance get the best of her. "When I feel like it."

"It's been a month, Maki-chan," Hanayo pointed out as Rin made her fifth shot. "You'll still accept your bracelet back, right?"

The taller girl stayed quiet for a minute, watching Rin make her eighth one in. "I don't know," she replied solemnly, touching her left wrist.

The younger girl was about to respond when her phone started to ring; excusing herself, Hanayo moved away to answer the call, leaving Maki to watch as Rin made her final shot. She cheered loudly as the girl gave her the stuffed panda.

"Look, Maki-chan, nya!" Rin joyfully shouted, shoving the stuffed animal in her friend's face. "Isn't he so cute?"

"Just lovely," the redhead commented.

Rin pouted. "C'mon, Maki-chan, you need to smile more. You'll get wrinkles like that."

"Fine by me."

"What?!" they heard Hanayo yell, her phone pressed to her ear in dismay. Maki and Rin stared at her as the younger girl seemed to be listening to what the person on the other line was saying, her eyes growing wider with each second. When she finally hung up the phone, her arm dropped to her side.

"What's wrong, Kayochin?" Rin asked, hopping over to her partner with Maki behind her.

Hanayo didn't reply, her eyes bulging out and her mouth hanging open.

"Earth to Hanayo." Maki waved a hand in her friend's face; it wasn't until she snapped her fingers a few times did Hanayo start to mutter something. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Maki-chan," she let out slowly and quietly. "It's about Nico-chan…"

Maki's head snapped back. _Why don't they get it?_

"I told you; I don't want to see her – !"

"Maki-chan," the brown-haired girl cut in, surprising Maki that she stopped talking. Hanayo looked at her with distressed eyes. "Nico-chan…she's in the hospital."

Maki never ran faster in her life.


	18. Chapter 17: What About Us?

**Again, sorry for breaking your heart, but your reviews and comments made me laugh and smile. Thank you for still supporting this story!**

 **Enjoy and see you guys next time.**

* * *

Maki could feel her chest burning as she started to fall short of breath. It didn't help that the air had gotten colder over the last month and she was running against it. Her throat felt cold and dry while her legs felt like they were going to cramp up soon if she didn't stop. But she couldn't stop; mentally, she wouldn't let herself.

The look of shock on Hanayo's face and her frightened voice over the phone when she had called her to tell her where Nico was at still replaying in her head over and over. She couldn't shake it off – the fear that was increasingly rising, as she got closer to her family's hospital.

"Nishikino-sama," she heard someone say as she passed by a few parked ambulances, but she had no time to greet them, or more like she had no voice to speak with. She must have looked panicked since they didn't stop her sprint, watching curiously as she ran further down the sidewalk to get to the entrance.

Maki slid through the thin gap of the sliding door, too impatient to wait for it to open fully; she avoided a collision with a man on a wheel chair being rolled out by one of the nurses.

"Nishikino-sama!" she heard the young nurse gasp as the redhead sprinted down into the building.

Maki could hear some of the other workers muttering her name in confusion or halting to watch the first-year go through the maze of the Nishikino Hospital, heavy panting and sweat rolling down, but not willing to stop.

"Ah! Maki!"

Her mother stood in front of her, holding on to her daughter with both hands while looking down at her in disappointment. Maki didn't blame her; she was running in a hospital.

"Mama," the first-year breathed; she didn't realize how much air she had lost. "I can't – I have to – Nico-chan – "

The look on the older woman's face softened as she let go of Maki. "She's on the fourth floor."

The redhead wasted no time to run passed her mother towards the elevators, mentally thanking her. As if by some sort of miracle, the elevator door opened, some patients and doctors walking out. They hastily stepped aside when they realized that the redhead was coming towards them at full speed.

Maki pressed the button repeatedly; almost afraid she was going to break it. She was glad she was the only one in the elevator as it slowly moved upwards. The redhead rested her forehead on the cold metal door, taking in deep breathes as her heart banged against her chest.

Why had she been so stupid? She wasted a whole month thinking about herself and never once of the things Nico was probably going through. A whole month of not seeing her smile or hearing her laugh or groaning at her snappy side remarks, a month of no stupid little bickering matches that always weirdly ended on a happy note, a month of not being able to feel her close and enjoy the warmth she created whenever she was near and to enjoy the feeling whenever Nico's lips were pressed against hers. Maki clenched her teeth as all these images of her partner took over her mind, trying at all cost not to cry.

As soon as the doors opened, the first-year jogged out, heading for the counter not too far away. She slammed her hands on the table in a rush.

"Nishikino-sama!" one of the nearby nurses cried in a scare.

"Yazawa," Maki said, her heart beating faster.

"What?"

"Yazawa!" she repeated in a louder tone; she had no patience, not when her partner could be… "Room! What is Yazawa's room?"

The nurse hurriedly shuffled through the binder of current patients, flipping paper after paper until she reached last names starting with "Ya." She scrolled down the list before exclaiming, "407!"

Maki dashed towards that direction; she was glad she knew the hospital like the back of her hand or else she would have been going in circles. And what Nishikino wanted to be that fool in her own hospital?

She counted the room numbers as she sped by, avoiding all the nurses and patients in the hallway. The redhead could hear herself wheezing, losing what little air she had left in her. _403, 404, 405, 406…_

"Nico-chan!" The first-year slammed the door open, her eyes going wide when she realized Nozomi and Eli were there too, sitting down next to the hospital bed; the purple-haired slightly smiling while Eli stared in surprise at the out-of-breath Maki. The redhead couldn't see Nico, half of her bed covered by a curtain.

"Maki-chan," Nozomi started, her smile growing wider when the first-year stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. "It's been a while."

"Ye – yeah," was all she could say as she slowly staggered towards them; she didn't know if it was from her marathon run or the fact that she was afraid to see Nico. The two third-years' gaze quietly followed her; cautiously making sure Maki wouldn't fall at any moment.

Maki went around slowly, mentally preparing herself for what she might see; she felt her heart wasn't ready. And she was right. Making it at the foot of the bed, Maki's breath hitched as she stiffened up; she didn't even realize Eli and Nozomi had stood up until they were both holding her steady.

Nico slept, her soft breathing filling up the dead silent room while her jet-black hair lay out behind her, her pigtails gone. Her face was covered in small scratches going from her jawline to her nose; her forehead wrapped in gauze and her left wrist wore a cast. The heart monitor beeped at a regular pace; an IV bag dripped beside the bed, and a nasal cannula plugged into her nostrils as it wrapped around her ears.

The first-year's heart stopped, her throat tightening the longer she stared at the small slumbering figure. She felt like crying, but no tears came out; too shocked to even move.

"Exhaustion," the purple-haired girl informed her. Without tearing her eyes away, Maki opened her mouth to say something, but her lips twitched as she struggled to form words.

She took one step forward, making sure she was stable enough before walking towards Nico. The younger girl could feel her hands shaking as she lifted an arm to move the hair out of her partner's face; she bit her lip when Nico smiled for a second, her fingers lingering on the older girl's cheek.

"She fell down a flight of stairs when she passed out which luckily only resulted in a slight concussion and a dislocated left wrist," Eli explained. "Apparently, she was also dehydrated and hasn't been eating properly either. The doctor said she'll be okay though; she just has to stay here and rest for a few days."

Maki didn't say anything as she examined Nico's injuries, stopping at the scraped up face until Nico suddenly shuddered, her sleeping face reacting to some discomfort she was feeling. The redhead's hand shot away, startled by the sudden movement.

"Ah, she must be cold," Nozomi stated, walking to the opposite side of where Maki stood. She was about to pull the blankets higher up, when the first-year grabbed it as well. The older girl looked up to see the slight redness on Maki's face as she turned her head away.

"I…can do it," she told her; Nozomi let go of the blanket, smiling as she and Eli watched the first-year carefully pull the covering over the smaller girl's body until it reached her neck, gently tucking it in as Nico unconsciously snuggled deeper into the fabric, obviously content.

"Hmm…" Nozomi broke the silence; the first-year looked up at her, a smile playing on the purple-haired girl's face, "I think Nicocchi is in great hands, Elicchi. I'm sure we can leave her in Maki-chan's care."

Eli grinned. "I agree, Nozomi. Well, we'll be leaving first, Maki. If Nico wakes up, tell her that we'll be back to visit her later."

"Wa – wait," the redhead stopped them as Nozomi and Eli were already halfway to the doorway. "What – what do I do when she wakes up?"

The partners glanced at each other before turning back to the first-year. "Only you can figure that one out," Nozomi replied. She waved goodbye as they went through the exit, closing it shut.

Maki could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest; she hasn't been around Nico for a whole month, she hadn't given herself enough time to process the fact that she might be alone with her. Although, the raven-haired was asleep and probably didn't know Maki was standing right beside her, the first-year could feel heat building on her face.

She bent down, moving Nico's bangs out of her face before she placed a soft kiss on her forehead, tears finally running down Maki's eyes and dripping onto the older girl.

"I'm sorry, Nico-chan."

* * *

 _Nico could feel a stabbing pain in her chest as she walked down the hallway from the studio; she was short of breath, but that usually happened right after one of her dance practices._

 _Her feet started to feel heavy and her head pounded harder than ever. Nico placed a hand on her forehead; she felt a little heat, opting to think that she may have gotten a slight fever. Maybe she just needed to rest when she got home._

 _As soon as she reached the stairway, she felt dizzy, holding tightly on to the railing for support as her vision blurred. Nico started to breathe harder, trying to fill up the tightness in her lungs. She shook her head, hoping it would help ease the pain, but it did nothing as her body started to sway side to side, her grip slacking. She tried to grasp on to the bar, but missed completely as her eyes closed shut on its own._

 _"Nico! Nico! Wake up!"_

 _Nico's body throbbed all over as her eyes fluttered open. She was lying at the bottom of the staircase, the same frantic voice calling for her over and over again. Her view was soon taken over by a familiar shade of blonde hair and light blue eyes, but instead of the usual sternness; it was alarmed, scared, almost distressed._

 _Nico wondered how Eli knew she was going to be there? But she was really glad that she found her._

 _Realizing Nico was looking up at her, the blonde exclaimed, "Nico, oh thank goodness!" The smaller girl could feel Eli trying to wipe something off of her face: blood maybe? "Nico, stay with me, okay? I already called for the ambulance and they should be here soon. You just have to stay awake; whatever you do, don't close your eyes." Nico slightly grinned; the cool and collected Eli was panicking and she was panicking over her – she had never felt closer to the blonde than at this moment._

 _The raven-haired used all of her strength to put a hand on Eli's sleeve to grab her attention. The blonde stared at her, a little relieved that Nico was responding in some sort of way._

 _"Eli…" Her throat hurt as her voice rasped out; she twitched at the sharp pain._

 _"Nico, don't talk," the younger girl commanded. "You'll hurt yourself even more."_

 _"Eli," Nico repeated with a little more firmness in her voice that the blonde didn't stop her. "Maki-chan…"_

 _"What about Maki?" Eli asked. She didn't really want to be making Nico talk, but if it was the only way to keep her awake, she needed to do it._

 _"I need to tell her something…"_

 _Loud blaring alarms came closer as Eli turned her attention to the flashes of blue and red, waving for the vehicle._

 _The next thing Nico knew, she was being carried onto a stretcher and being rolled into the ambulance with Eli shouting something along the lines of "I'll call your family" and "I'll see you soon."_

 _The doors closed as the car started to make its way to the hospital. The voices around her started speaking medical terms as hands darted passed her blurry line of vision. When one of them touched her wrist, she reacted with a cry of pain, her eyes going watery._

 _Her eyes shut closed, wishing for the pain to stop: the pain that had been lodged in her heart._

* * *

Nico's eyes snapped open; the shouting, the blaring alarm, and the agonizing pain – all of them disappeared as she looked around the quiet, white room of a hospital. She lifted her head a little to look around: a window slightly cracked open for wind to make its way through, the curtain fluttering with it and a vase of flowers sitting in the sunlight.

No one else was in the room and it was kind of nice to be away from all the noise. She leaned back into her pillow before pressing a nearby button to fix herself into a sitting position. The third-year closed her eyes, exhaling before jerking when a dull pain shot up her arm. She looked down at her left wrist, groaning when she realized there was a cast around it; touching her head, she felt the gauze. What kind of idol would let this happen to herself?

She looked out the window: at least the view was nice.

"Nico-chan?"

The third-year shot up at the voice. _There's no way._ She turned her head slowly until she was staring at a certain redhead, the younger girl's mouth agape as she held what looked like gauze in her hand.

"Hi," Nico's said hoarsely; Maki twitched at the sound. The third-year cleared her throat before saying, "Sorry; guess I'm still regaining my voice."

Maki forced a small grin that quickly disappeared; Nico could also feel the awkward tension surrounding them. The raven-haired looked around, trying to find something to say.

"Uh, sorry you have to see me again like this," she said, trying her best to muster a chuckle that sounded real enough; Maki didn't react. Nico's laugh subsided as she turned to face the other way; maybe if she didn't look at the redhead, she wouldn't feel so edgy.

She scratched her head, forgetting that she had bumped it during her fall; she jerked in pain, groaning as her hands held on to her forehead in an attempt to ease the discomfort.

Maki pulled her hands away from her face, Nico jumping at her touch. "Don't go scratching at your injuries," she advised the older girl, unwrapping the gauze around her head effortlessly as Nico watched her in fascination. She hasn't been this close to the first-year in a long time.

The redhead grabbed the gauze she had brought with her and used it to replace the old one, making sure it wasn't too loose or too tight. "There," she said when she finished, she moved away as Nico touched the new gauze with a "thanks."

Maki sat down on the seat next to Nico's bed, her impassive face staring directly at her. How was she so calm right now when the raven-haired felt like bursting at any moment?

"So…" Nico started.

"Nico-chan, you don't have to force a conversation," Maki interrupted. "I just came in to replace the bandage." She stood up to leave as Nico's eyes widened.

"Wha – wait, that's it?" she asked; if she could move off the bed, she would have jumped on Maki by now. "You're just going to come in here and then leave without talking to me?"

The younger girl didn't turn back as Nico waited for a reply. "We haven't talked in a month," Maki stated.

"That's why we should talk now," the raven-haired pointed out.

"About what?" Maki glanced over her shoulder.

"About us," the third-year replied and then continued in a dejected tone, "if there still is an 'us'."

Maki stood in her spot for a few seconds longer before deciding to make her way back to the chair she had left not too long ago. She sat down, her eyes moving to look at anything except Nico. Maybe she wasn't as calm as Nico thought she was.

The raven-haired started to fidget in her bed, her eyes fixed on her feet as she made her toes wiggle under the blankets.

"You have really small feet," Maki unexpectedly commented.

Nico puffed her cheeks out as she turned to the younger girl, but then jerked back when she saw that the redhead was also watching her toes squirm in anxiousness. She had a small grin on her face; it was so breathtakingly stunning, Nico had to quickly look away, her cheeks going red from the sight.

"Hey, Nico-chan?" Her voice was a bit timid, sounding just as anxious as Nico was feeling. The third-year turned to look back at her with a toothy smile; one her idol self always gave to her fans to make them smile.

"Don't sound so nervous, Maki-chan, I'm fine," Nico said, trying her best to keep the smile on her face. She put her up hands beside her head, making her famous Nico Nii sign. But then she heard sniffling and she realized the redhead was crying into her hands.

"Ah!" the third-year moved as close as she could get to the younger girl, lifting up Maki's head to get a view of her red eyes and water-stained face. "Maki-chan, please stop crying; I was just trying to make you feel better."

"…Idiot," Maki mumbled, gently pushing Nico away so she could be sitting back on the hospital bed. "You shouldn't be moving around so much," she sniveled as she stood up to cover Nico's lower body with the blanket. The raven-haired quietly watched as the taller girl wiped at her eyes, trying her best not to cry again.

Once she was done, Maki walked over to flowers to place it closer to Nico. "Umi and Kotori came by earlier, but they didn't want to bother you so they said they'll come back," she informed the raven-haired, fixing the bouquet.

"Rin and Hanayo also visited," she continued as if she was trying to avoid talking about their current situation. "They wanted to give you some stuff but Rin refused to until you woke up." Nico could see a little grin forming on Maki's face. "Honoka called to say she'll be coming by soon. And Nozomi and Eli are just downstairs."

It became quiet again, but it didn't feel so uncomfortable anymore. Nico observed the redhead as she proceeded to play with the pedals; was Maki always this beautiful or did the month away from her make Nico notice her more? The thought somehow made the third-year chuckle, grabbing Maki's attention away from the flowers and towards her.

"What's so funny?" she asked curiously as her eyebrows scrunched up a little in confusion.

Nico giggled. "It's nothing," she replied with a grin.

The redhead raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any more questions as she strode over to the older girl, fixing the gauze around her head. The close proximity made Nico's heart flutter and her chest tightened when she saw the slight color of pink on Maki's cheeks.

 _"I need to tell her something…"_

"I love you."

Maki's hand instantly halted, her fingers still lingers around the gauze. Nico's eyes went wide, turning her head to look at the door in hopes that Eli and Nozomi would walk in to save her from embarrassment; she could feel her body heating up as Maki just hovered over her. She just went and blurted something so inappropriate when they haven't even established what they are anymore. What if Maki doesn't want to be her partner anymore? Nico pushed the thought aside, not wanting to cry at this moment.

After a few more minutes, Nico chuckled weakly. "Ah…Nico Nii is just kidding, Maki-chan," she stated, looking up at the redhead. "I didn't mean to say such a thing – "

Water fell onto the third-year's face, as Maki started to break down again, this time not even attempting to stop herself or hide it from the older girl. Nico's chest squeezed as she lifted her uninjured hand to place it on the crying girl's cheek; the redhead's placed her hand over Nico's as more tears fell from her eyes.

"Maki-chan…" Nico whispered, sadness in her voice.

"Please…don't tell me that y – you're joking," Maki choked out as more water fell onto Nico's scratched up face, but she didn't seem to mind.

The raven-haired's face softened when she felt Maki's hand grasp on to hers. "No…I'm not joking," Nico admitted, bringing the younger girl's face down to lean against her forehead, her hand caressing the skin that felt so nice in her palm.

Maki's cries quieted down as she looked into the assuring red eyes she had avoided for far too long. Nico gave her a small smile, kissing the top of her red nose.

"I love you," she repeated with such sweetness that Maki's heart started to beat rapidly, "So much, Maki-chan. And I'm so sorry for hurting you when you needed me. A month without you made me realize just how much you've changed me. I love you so damn much."

Maki laughed as the third-year chuckled along with her, their foreheads pressing against each other. As soon as the giggling died down, they realized just how close they actually were.

The younger girl leaned in first before Nico lifted her head up just enough to meet her in the middle. The kiss was gentle and warm, a feeling the both of them missed _very_ much; Maki's hands reached out for Nico's jawline, cupping the older girl's face as the raven-haired pulled the younger girl's shirt to draw her in closer.

Maki's mind went blank when Nico titled her head to deepen the kiss, the shuffling of the blanket and their lips softly smacking filling up the room. She inhaled deeply, taking in Nico's strawberry scent and smiling against the older girl's mouth for a brief second; that was definitely one thing she really missed. Nico always had this certain smell that Maki loved no matter how many times she was around her, but it's like they say: nothing in the world smells as good as the person you love.

The raven-haired wrapped her arms tightly around Maki's neck as the redhead kept herself steady, making sure not to fall on the already damaged third-year. She could feel Nico playing with her hair every few seconds and the way her fingers lazed at the back of her neck made her spine shiver. Straddling the older girl to get a better angle, the first-year pushed harder, one hand on the bed for support and the other massaging Nico's earlobe.

How did either survive a month without this? Neither of them knew since now it seemed impossible to let go. Maybe it was the fact that had been apart for so long or the fact that it was such a profound moment for them.

Nico pulled away first, completely breathless – actually, she was _too_ breathless. "Maki-chan, I can't breathe," she managed to say as she struggled to suck in air, a look of panic on her face.

The redhead hastily leaned over Nico, pulling the nasal cannula from behind her until it reached her nose. She gently placed it, careful not to hurt the third-year as she wrapped the tube around her ears to keep it in place. From her knowledge, Maki turned it on, letting the oxygen flow from the tube and into Nico's nose as the older girl took a few deep breaths to regulate her breathing.

"Better?" the redhead asked, still straddling Nico and hovering over her as the smaller girl nodded.

"Maki-chan would be a great doctor," Nico smiled as the first-year leaned to press her forehead against Nico's. "Although, Maki-chan would be great at everything she does."

The taller girl frowned. "Not everything…" she muttered, an aching feeling rising in her body.

Nico placed both of her hands on her partner's face; Maki trying not to react so much when the cast on Nico's left wrist rubbed against her. "Well, I think you'll be great; you're so much better than me; _you_ make me better."

"No," the redhead replied, surprising the older girl. "You're the one who's changed me." The tips of Nico's ears started to turn red as Maki rested in the crook of her neck before continuing, "I honestly didn't understand why finding your perfect match was such a big deal. But every time I looked at you, I slowly started to find the answer. You're better than I am, Nico-chan, in every single way. I didn't get it at first, but then I realized: it's because I love you so much that sometimes I'm scared I'll lose you."

Maki could feel Nico's arms moving around, but she didn't want to budge, not when the raven-haired felt so soft and comforting. Nico grabbed Maki's left wrist, snapping something on; in curiosity, the redhead looked down, her heart beating loudly as she snuggled deeper into Nico who smiled at the reaction.

"If you wear this," the third-year started, playing with the silver bracelet she had just put on Maki's wrist, "you'll never lose me." Nico could feel heat against her neck; she laughed. "Is Maki-chan embarrassed?"

"Sh – shut up," the younger girl retaliated; the raven-haired chuckled again as Maki got up to look her partner in the face. "I love you, Nico-chan."

"I know," Nico replied with a smug smile.

Maki frowned. "Don't be an ass and ruin the moment."

"Sorry," the older girl laughed. "I love you too." Maki bent down to kiss Nico again.

"I win, Elicchi."

They immediately separated, both of their faces turning a bright shade of pink as Eli and Nozomi stood at the doorway; the purple-haired simply smiled (Nico knew she was remembering this to use against her later) while her partner was even redder than Nico and Maki combined, her head turned to the side.

"You could have knocked," Nico hissed. "It's rude to just come in without warning."

Nozomi smirked. "Oh, I didn't think you would mind since you wouldn't be _getting some_."

Nico threw her pillow at her childhood friend who easily caught it. Maki's face turned deep red as she clumsily stepped off the bed to walk towards the window, hiding her face from the third-years.

"What do you want?" Nico asked angrily as Eli placed the pillow back under her head.

"Well, we came up to tell you that Umi called saying that Kyoko-san and the others will be down here soon," the blonde informed her.

"What for?" the smaller girl questioned. "I'm not in the state to do anything."

"That's the reason," Eli sighed.

"Oh."

Nozomi sat on the chair at the foot of the bed. "They want to talk with you about your next steps while you're in the process of healing," she stated. "They don't want to do anything too harmful for your health."

"Did they give you any options?" the raven-haired inquired as Maki finally turned to join the conversation, the redness in her face had disappeared.

"No," Eli replied. "They probably want to talk about it with you in person."

Nico hummed. "Makes sense," she said, looking between Nozomi and Eli before her gaze turned to Maki who gave her a small grin. "So is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Hmm, guess so," the purple-haired said.

"Then I have a request before they all get here," Nico stated, raising her hand a little over her head.

"And what's that?" the tall blonde asked.

Nico looked at the redhead. "Ten more minutes with Maki-chan."


	19. Chapter 18: Confession

**Enjoy the update and thanks for sticking around. More in store for NicoMaki.**

 **See you next time.**

* * *

"A press conference?" Nico repeated the words as she looked at Kyoko, her right hand halted in midair as the jell-o on the spoon jiggled from the movement.

Kyoko hummed in confirmation. "News about your hospitalization has gone around so the media is curious," she informed. "Nothing too big; just so you can show your face and tell them that you're all good." She gave Nico a thumbs up.

"So when is this conference supposed to be?" Umi asked, leaning against the window as Kotori sat on the seat near her.

"Well, since Nico-chan won't be discharged till next week…" Kyoko tapped her chin in thought. "I can schedule it for two weeks after just so you can heal up a little more before having to deal with the press."

"Fine by me," Nico shrugged before eating the spoonful of jell-o, some falling onto her lap.

Maki shook her head in disbelief before wiping it up; the third-year looked up at her with a smile, trying to lean in for a kiss. The redhead pinched her lips together with a glare, holding them for a few seconds before letting go.

"That hurt, Maki-chan," Nico complained, touching the red spot.

"You're the one who made me do it," Maki replied, twirling a strand of her hair.

"I just wanted a kiss," the raven-haired grumbled.

Umi cleared her throat, reminding them that they weren't the only ones in the room; her face a little pink from the scene she had just witnessed.

Kyoko strode towards the exit as she said, "I'll set up a date; we'll meet as soon as Nico-chan gets out of here. I've also made sure that your schedule isn't as extensive for the time being so make sure you use that time to rest." She waved goodbye before closing the door shut, leaving Nico, Maki, Umi, and Kotori.

"Ugh…this sucks," Nico groaned, leaning back in annoyance. "This cast is itchy, my face is all scratched up, and this hospital is boring."

Kotori giggled. "You hardly ate, Nico-chan," she pointed out.

The raven-haired turned to her. "I forgot to say that this food sucks."

The second-year stood up from her seat to walk over to Nico, carrying a small bag in her hand. When she was close enough, she took out a small bento, placing it on the tray in front of the older girl. Nico sat up with a look of delight as Kotori slowly opened it to reveal homemade food.

"I thought you would be tired of hospital food," the ash-haired girl told her as Nico stared at the food in hunger.

"Ah! This all looks so good!" Nico exclaimed, taking the chopsticks and placing it between her hands. "Itadakimasu!"

Kotori chuckled at the third-year, Umi grinned, and Maki shook her head in disbelief as the third-year shoved rice into her mouth, happily humming as she chewed.

"You'll choke like that," the first-year stated matter-of-factly.

Nico turned to her before smirking. "Then why doesn't Maki-chan feed me?"

The tips of Maki's ears turned red as she turned away from her partner while saying, "L – Like I would do such a thing."

The third-year frowned.

"So you think this press conference is the answer?" Umi spoke up with a look of concern; trying to, yet again, remind them that her and Kotori were also in the room.

"It's the only way not to let rumors fly," the third-year replied after she swallowed down an egg roll. "Although I don't want to have to face so many reporters at once, it's better to do it all together so things don't get mixed around."

"Nico-chan has a point," Kotori added, also looking a bit anxious. "Kyoko-san said it won't be anything too big so I'm sure we'll be able to handle it."

Umi closed her eyes in thought. "I just hope nothing goes wrong," she sighed.

"You're too high-strung," Nico said irritably, pointing her chopsticks to the younger girl. "What could possibly go wrong?"

* * *

"What do you mean it's bigger than anticipated?" Nico interrogated, her eyebrow raised in annoyance. "You said nothing too big."

"Well, seems your hospitalization is greater news than we thought," Kyoko chuckled as Maki helped the raven-haired off the hospital bed.

Nico sighed as she put on her shoes. "So just how many reporters should I expect?"

"Let's just say we're looking for a bigger conference room," she replied with a reassuring smile.

"That's not encouraging." The third-year narrowed her eyes as Kyoko laughed weakly. Nico shook her head before saying, "Well, I won't worry about that today. I'm finally getting out of here and that's all that matters."

"Just because you're getting out of here doesn't mean you're all well to just jump right into things," the redhead scolded.

"Ah, Maki-chan, don't worry about it," Nico smiled. "Super Idol Nico Nii – " Maki shot her a spine-chilling glare that the older girl stopped mid-sentence, jumping back with wide eyes.

"Maki-chan's right," Kyoko jumped in. "We'll take things slow while you're still recovering. Starting with this press conference."

Nico stretched with a groan. "As long as I'm off this bed, I'm up for anything," she stated. "Although, I'm one hand short."

"Well, the only thing I've put on your schedule is recordings," the agent informed her. "Anything too exhaustive is put on hold until further notice."

"Aw…that su – " Maki gave Nico an incriminating look. "I mean…good for me!"

"Aren't you two the cutest?" Kyoko commented that both Maki and Nico turned slightly red, turning away from each other. The older woman continued with a grin, "I'll be leaving first; I'll contact you to schedule a meeting before the conference. See you around." She left with a wink.

"So, Maki-chan, where are we going today?" Nico immediately asked, jumping on the balls of her feet in excitement.

"Your house," Maki casually stated.

The older girl smirked. "Oh, how bold of you, Maki-chan; I guess you couldn't get enough of Nico Nii."

The first-year's face turned bright red before she chopped at Nico's head, mentally thanking the heavens that her head injury already healed. "I meant so you can rest, pervert," she retaliated as the raven-haired rubbed the top of her head.

"Geez, I was just kidding."

"She meant it whole-heartedly," said another voice. They turned to the opened door to find Nozomi, Eli, Rin, and Hanayo there. The purple-haired continued, "We all know just how much of a dirty old man Nicocchi really is."

"Ha…we all know that out of all the partners here, you and Eli are – "

"Stop right there," Eli said, slapping a hand over Nico's mouth; although she seemed composed, Maki could see the pink donning her cheeks.

"I don't get it," Rin said to Hanayo.

"That's good," was all the brown-haired said with a weak chuckle.

"Why are we fighting so early in the day?" Honoka jumped into the room. "Nico-chan is finally being discharged. We should be celebrating!"

"Honoka," came Umi's disapproving voice as her and Kotori walked in. "We are in a hospital; it's rude to be yelling when there are people in need of rest."

"Ah, sorry about that." The ginger-haired giggled.

"Nico-chan, you look so much better," Kotori remarked, making her way over to the smaller girl.

"Yeah, but this cast is a problem," Nico replied, lifting up her left arm.

Kotori hummed in thought before an idea hit her. "Umi-chan, can you hand me those chairs?" Umi followed without question, letting Kotori and Nico sit. "Just give me a few minutes."

"So, where are we going today?" Honoka asked. "Should we go somewhere fun?"

"Oh! Let's go to the amusement park!" Rin suggested.

"I don't think we should risk Nico's health," the blonde reminded them with a frown. "She's technically not even out yet."

"I agree with Eli," Umi said. "Nico has things she needs to be prepared for. We don't want her having any other problems."

Honoka and Rin pouted. "Aw, but Nico-chan has been stuck in the hospital for a week," the ginger-haired stated. "Shouldn't we at least do something when she does have free time?"

"The reason she has free time is for her to rest," the blue-haired stated sternly.

"Aw, but Umi-chan…"

"Rin-chan," Hanayo stepped in, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder. "Umi-chan and Eli-chan are right; Nico-chan's health is important. We shouldn't be take a chance when she's not a hundred percent."

"Hey, hey," Nico called from her seat as Kotori calmly continued her work, everyone turning their attention to her. "Don't I get a say on what we do today? Since, you know, I'm the one who's being discharged."

They all turned to each other before Nozomi spoke up, "So what does little Nicocchi want to do today?"

Nico looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I just want something sweet," she replied with a wide smile; her mind filled with all kinds of things she wanted to eat.

"Well, I could go for a parfait right now," Eli said.

"I don't mind getting some manjuu," Umi added.

Maki shook her head in disbelief; Nozomi smirked when she took notice. "Ah, I think Maki-chan won't mind having some strawberries right now."

The redhead turned to the third-year with embarrassment as she said, "Wh – what makes you say that?"

"Just a hunch," the purple-haired girl replied.

"Strawberries are pretty good," Honoka unexpectedly commented. "Especially if they're sweet; they taste so delicious."

"They're also good with cream," Rin chimed in; Maki's breathing hitched.

"Or on a parfait," Eli added with a smile.

"Chocolate is also a good addition," Hanayo said; Maki could feel her face burning.

"Oh! Oh! Or – "

"I think we get it," Maki hissed, cutting off Honoka's next statement as she faced the floor to hide her dark red face.

"All done!" Kotori smiled, pulling away from the third-year's cast. It was decorated with intricate flowers in different colors, a design only someone like Kotori could draw. Nico inspected it before smiling back.

"It's so much better," she praised. "Thank you!"

"As expected of Kotori," Umi said with a grin she tried to hide.

The ash-haired girl blushed as she strode over to her partner, taking her arm. "So where should we get dessert?" she asked in general, but still keeping her eyes glued to Umi.

"Maybe we should go to Akiba," Hanayo suggested. "There are a lot of selections there."

"Good thinking, Hanayo-chan," Nozomi agreed. "And it's close to Nicocchi's apartment."

"Then let's go!" Rin jumped in the air before jogging out the room.

"Rin-chan, please stop running," Hanayo pleaded, hurriedly speed walking after her partner, a look of worry on her face.

"Guess we'll meet you downstairs," Eli said with a wave, Umi, Kotori, and Honoka following her.

"Don't take too long," Nozomi winked before also making her way out the door, slowly sliding it closed that Maki caught hold of the smug smile on her face. Just what does the third-year think they do all the time?

Nico stood up from her chair to make her way towards the redhead. "So, shall we get going?" she asked, fixing her jacket's sleeves.

"Might as well." Maki didn't want Nozomi to get any wrong ideas.

"Ah! Maki-chan, wait." The third-year shuffled in her pocket before taking out a permanent marker. "Can you sign my cast?" Maki raised an eyebrow. "Well since you know, I can't really wear my bracelet; I kind of want your name where I could see it. Kotori seemed to have left an empty spot."

The tips of the first-year's ears turned pink. "Su – sure," she replied, taking the marker from Nico and carefully signing her name. Her hands started to shake a little when she felt the raven-haired's breath falling onto her.

When she finished, Maki pulled away as the smaller girl smiled at her. "Let's get going," the redhead stated as she slowly strode to the door, Nico half-jogging to catch up to her.

"Hey, Maki-chan," Nico called as they exited the hospital room and into the hallway. Maki glanced at her before she continued, "Do you like strawberries that much?"

Later that day, Maki's mother scolded her for arguing so loudly in the hallway.

* * *

"Nico, you're hurting me," Umi groaned as the small third-year gripped the back of her shirt, her nails digging into the younger girl's back as she held on to Umi even tighter as the elevator went up.

"You're the one who decided to wait for me," Nico countered.

"I didn't really decide," the blue-haired remembered. "I'm pretty sure you grabbed me back out of the elevator before it closed, leaving Kotori and Maki in the other one."

She could feel Nico clenching her teeth as she said, "Well, I needed to tie my shoes…and I – I didn't want to go up alone. You guys were going to leave me."

Umi sighed, but didn't argue any more, letting Nico cling on to her in silence as they went higher up, trying her best to keep the sight of the window behind her out of view for the frightened third-year.

As soon as the doors opened, Nico was pulled apart from Umi by the collar; startled, the third-year was face-to-face with her partner a few seconds later, her eyes scrunched up in irritation.

"Do – don't just go grabbing people out of elevators like that," she lectured – or tried to since Nico couldn't really take her seriously with the way Maki's cheeks had turned slightly pink.

"Sorry, it won't happen again." Nico quickly pecked her partner on the lips, startling her as the raven-haired just simply smiled. A few seconds later, Maki pushed her away, covering her mouth and turning away from the older girl. She muttered something under her breath before she strode towards the double doors of the agency, Nico humming happily behind her.

Kotori turned to Umi with a smile. "Why aren't you that bold, Umi-chan?"

The blue-haired wildly blushed while saying, "Let's…get going." Kotori just giggled as they followed the two other girls.

"Welcome back, Nico-chan," Kyoko greeted them at the entrance, holding a stack of files. Umi groaned at she looked at the pile, knowing she would be the one responsible to take care of it. "Glad you can finally make it here."

"Great to be back," Nico said blissfully. "I can totally get back on sche – ow!"

Umi chopped the top of the third-year's head, a little stronger than intended. "We're going to start slow. Your health is still of critical importance."

Kotori smiled as she said, "Nico-chan is such a hard worker." Nico's grumbling subsided as she sighed, deciding not to argue since she felt it would be useless being outnumbered.

"Before your hospitalization, you were able to finish recording two new songs," Kyoko pointed out, tilting her head slightly to look up at the ceiling in thought. "So in all honestly, we're not behind on anything. Plus, this press conference is what everyone is looking forward to. If you play your cards right, you might just get more fans after."

"So how will I play my cards right?" Nico asked in curiosity.

"Well, that's what this meeting is for," Kyoko replied with a grin. "To prepare you for how to answer questions and what to expect since this is your first time. So with that, let's start heading to the meeting room; Ryuu-kun is already there." Kyoko went through the hallway first, followed by the two second-years.

"Maki-chan," Nico started, turning to her partner, "you don't have to listen in on our boring meeting; you can practice in the studio if you want."

The redhead didn't answer immediately as she stared at the ground; Nico looked at her closely, taking notice of the Maki's despondent gaze despite how calm her expression was. "It's…fine," she finally responded without looking up, walking past the older girl.

Nico stood there in confusion, watching Maki make her way through the hall. The third-year soon followed after; silently observing the redhead's slow pace; she hadn't even noticed that Umi waited for her to walk beside her.

"She's still not ready?" Umi suddenly asked, quiet enough for Maki not to hear.

The smaller girl turned to her. "Not ready for what?"

The blue-haired's head snapped to face Nico, a rather baffled expression on her face. Did Nico not catch something? Umi started to stutter, obviously feeling uncomfortable in the situation she had just put herself in.

The raven-haired raised an eyebrow, waiting for the younger girl to explain just what she meant. "Are you going to tell me what Maki-chan isn't ready for?"

Umi gulped, pulling on the collar of her shirt. "I – I don't know if I should be the one to tell you," she said, keeping her eyes forward.

"Hmm…is that so?" Nico frowned as she turned away from the second-year. "That's very dishonorable of you to keep such an important piece of information from someone." Umi's breathing hitched; Nico hid a smirk. "I guess you still have a lot to learn, Umi. But I don't think your parents would be very happy that you're keeping secrets."

The second-year took a deep breath before she finally gave in: "Are you always this manipulative?"

"Maybe." Nico shrugged.

Umi waited a few more minutes until Maki slipped into the meeting room, out of earshot. She stopped in her tracks, Nico following her lead.

"It's about…why Maki doesn't want to go into the studio," she started, looking around cautiously to make sure no one else was around to hear them. Nico nodded for her to continue. "Well, you see…she hasn't been near one since the competition."

The raven-haired stared at her, her mind drawing a blank on how to respond. "She hasn't touched the piano in a while; she refuses to. We asked her if she could look at the composition for one of your songs a while back and she rejected us. We thought it was because you two weren't talking, but…it's really because she's been avoiding it."

"Why…?" The words slipped out unconsciously. Nico knew exactly why but hearing it out loud may speed up the information swirling in her head.

Umi's gaze focused on the ground for a few seconds before it flickered back to Nico, who stood there, dumbfounded. "She's…afraid," the blue-haired replied solemnly. "She's afraid to fail again."

"But…" Nico trailed off, not really knowing what to say as Umi forced a small smile, trying her best not to let the older girl feel too troubled.

"I'm sure Maki will start playing again once she's ready," the second-year tried to assure Nico, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She just needs time."

That was funny; where has Nico heard that sentence before? She told herself that so many times when her and Maki weren't talking. It took her to be in the hospital for the redhead to move; although, it wasn't entirely Maki's fault since Nico blamed herself for the whole ordeal in the first place. But her partner wasn't one to initiate things for her own reasons and Nico knew that very well.

"Umi-chan, Nico-chan," Kotori called, sticking her head out from the meeting room with her usual cute smile. "Kyoko-san is waiting for you two so we can start the meeting."

"We'll be right in," Umi smiled back; Kotori nodded before going back in. She turned to Nico with that same serious, but comforting expression. "Maybe she just needs a little push." With that, the second-year walked past to head into the room, leaving Nico in the hallway alone.

 _A little push, she says. Just what does she expect me to do?_

The raven-haired sighed before also making her way inside, looking around the meeting room until she spotted the redhead, sitting in between Kotori and an empty seat – possibly meant for Nico.

Maki looked up from her hair twirling, grinning with a slight wave of the hand towards Nico. The third-year waved back before walking towards the seat next to Maki, plopping down in the chair.

"What took you so long?" Maki asked as Kyoko looked through some of the files she had been holding.

"Did Maki-chan miss me?" the older girl teased; she laughed when Maki's cheeks turned a light shade of red. "Umi was just talking to me about some stuff that I missed."

"Oh…like what?"

Nico turned to her partner as the agent began writing some things on the board. "Just some stuff; nothing to worry about," she smiled.

Maki's eyebrows scrunched up, but she didn't ask anymore as Kyoko started the meeting. In the middle of Kyoko's introduction, Nico grabbed the redhead's hand from under the table. In surprise, Maki flinched, but quickly intertwined her fingers with the raven-haired's own; Nico grinned when she felt her partner's thumb gently roll over her hand.

At that moment, Nico decided that she was going to give Maki that push she needed.

* * *

"Ready?"

Nico looked at Kyoko who sat across from her in the waiting room. She could hear the loud chattering from the other side of the door; her jitters growing the longer she tried to focus what they were saying. The third-year started to unconsciously tap her fingers on her lap, taking deep slow breathes.

Kyoko stood up from her seat, putting a hand on Nico's shoulder; the raven-haired looked up at her. "Just remembering everything we prepared for," she said with a grin. "You're more than ready for any question they may ask out there. Just remember that if you're uncomfortable answering something, you don't have to force yourself." Nico nodded and the older woman gave her a thumbs up. "Then let's get going."

The agent strode to the door before Nico could slowly follow her. She heard the conversations dying down as someone tapped on the microphone to gather their attention.

"We appreciate your patience," the man started, his voice echoing through the room. "And we would like to thank you for coming out today..."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself," Kyoko said as they stood in front of the doors, waiting for Nico's introduction. "You're a smart girl so you definitely got this."

"Th…Thanks," she muttered as she heard the man announce her name. Immediately, the doors opened and flashes of light blocked Nico's view of anything. She heard questions being asked around as she slowly made her way through the crowd, men pushing back the crowd to make sure they didn't invade the idol's space.

Nico smiled every once in a while, throwing up her famous hand sign with it towards the cameras. She couldn't tell if they were cheering and if they were trying to talk over each other.

As soon as Nico made it to the podium in the middle of the platform, a man beside Nico signaled for the crowd to quiet down. The noise ceased as they sat in their chairs as they focused on the third-year in front of them.

The raven-haired suddenly felt self-conscious; all their eyes set on her, waiting for her to say something. She gulped before her gaze strayed to the back of the room, catching hold of Kyoko in the corner, nodding for her to start. Umi, Kotori, and Maki sat in the back row, away from the hoard of reporters. When their eyes met, Maki mouthed the word "Go", her hand beckoning her to say something.

Nico slightly nodded before she put her mouth to the microphone. "Afternoon." The microphone's sound backfired, the speakers screeching in return. Everyone jerked from the sudden and unpleasant noise.

The third-year's ears turned red from embarrassment as the sound passed. She chuckled nervously before clearing her throat to speak again. "My name is Yazawa Nico and I'd like to thank you all for taking the time to be here. So without further delay, I'll take any question you may have."

A few hands flew up in the air, surprising the raven-haired. She pointed to one of them to talk. The man stood up with a notepad in one hand and a pen in the other. "First question: could you please explain the reason for your hospitalization? Is it true that you were caught up in a burglary?"

Nico's face scrunched up in confusion. What kind of information was being passed around? In a calm and collected manner, Nico answered: "No, I was not part of anything too serious. I was admitted into the hospital for over exhaustion. I did suffer only minor injuries, but nothing to worry about."

A hand was raised. "When will you be able to fully function?" a woman asked.

"I am taking things slow since I've been discharged," Nico started, her nerves slowly disappearing. "Because of this incident, I am still recovering and taking care of myself before anything. But I am hoping to get back into the rhythm of things soon."

"Is it true that your agency pushed you to exhaustion?" someone shouted, a recorder in hand.

Nico was slightly taken aback. "That is entirely untrue. I put myself in this position; I do not blame anyone else for my hospitalization. Whatever anyone says, the agency, especially my agent, are watching out for me, knowing full well that I have limits."

The third-year felt a wave of relief when she saw most of the reporters nodding as they wrote down their notes. Nico quickly looked at Maki who grinned at her.

Another hand shot up in the crowd; acknowledging the reporter, the man stood up. In a serious tone, he stated: "This a question concerning a few rumors running around." Nico nodded for him to continue. "There is speculation about a certain girl that you've been pictured with several times. Now, when you debuted, your profile stated that you haven't met your partner yet. But could this information be false?"

The whole crowd turned to Nico who stared wide-eyed at the reporter, her heart rate picking up speed. She hadn't prepared for that question and she knew her partnership was supposed to be a secret. But the eyes intensely looking at her made her more anxious.

Before she could speak, another reporter added: "Did you state you're still single for the mere fact that you'll gain more fans that way?"

"No – "

"Then who is this girl everyone is talking about? Is she your partner?"

"Well – "

"Would an idol lie to her fans? Don't you think it was unfair to keep this piece of information from supporters?"

Nico opened her mouth.

"Just how will you make it up for lying about something so important?"

"Just how does your partner feel about this?"

The crowd became increasingly aggressive, every single reporter shouting out questions as flashes from cameras were aimed at the awe-stricken third-year. She looked left and right, unable to find the words to say. The bodyguards were having a hard time keeping the crowd down as they tried to push forward to get closer to the podium.

Without warning, a hand grabbed at the microphone, ripping it off the stand. Nico's eyes followed the slender fingers, quickly recognizing it as the redhead put the microphone to her mouth to speak, a stern glare staring out to the hoard of people.

The reporters were just as surprised at the idol as their attention turned to Maki, their chattering dwindling. Nico could hear a few of them whispering amongst each other: "Isn't that Nishikino Maki?" "Nishikino is here?" "What is she doing?"

Maki looked around the crowd before speaking in a composed manner: "Nico is working as hard as she can; however, she is still new in the idol industry and she is still learning. We would appreciate it if you can keep your accusations to a minimum considering the fact that Nico's health is still recovering and it isn't fair to just batter her with allegations before she has a chance to even speak."

The crowd remained silent as Maki slowly put back the microphone. Several reporters started to murmur, but through the shock, Nico couldn't really hear what they were saying.

Someone stood up to speak, catching everyone's attention. "I agree it isn't right for us to put Yazawa-san under such pressure, but…" He looked at them, fixing his glasses that started to slide down his nose. "Nishikino-san, what are you to Yazawa-san that you had the guts to stand up in front of this crowd?"

Both Nico and Maki jerked as a woman reporter got up. "A normal friend wouldn't have done such a thing. A lot of reports have stated that the girl has red hair and purple eyes; you seem to match this description."

"Nishikino-san, are you Yazawa-san's partner?"

The crowd started to get rowdy again, but this time, neither girl knew how to answer. Nico glanced up at Maki who had turned red in the face, her breathing becoming heavy from distress. The third-year gritted her teeth before stomping towards the microphone, grabbing it and pulling it towards her hostilely. The action made the microphone backfire again, but as everyone else reacted with discomfort, Nico stood firmly on her feet.

"Now you listen here," Nico spat into the microphone that everyone was caught off guard. "Maki isn't here to answer your questions so I'd appreciate if you back off my partner."

The third-year's eyes widened when she realized what she said, the last word ringing in her ears as the crowd shot up at the word. She could see the reporter's eager faces, ready to grab this opportunity to interrogate her.

But just before anyone could actually ask a question, Nico grabbed Maki, dragging her off the stage in a flash as the mass of reporters started roaring with questions, shoving their recorders in her face. If it wasn't for the bodyguards, Nico was sure she would have been trampled by now.

Kyokyo, Umi, and Kotori were waiting for them by the exit, ushering out the two girls before shutting it closed. They jogged down the hall and into an empty meeting room to hide until the reporters could leave.

Nico let out a heavy sigh, her face in her hands. "That was not what I intended to happen," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it, Nico-chan," Kotori said. "It was a slip of the tongue and I'm sure your fans will forgive you."

"I sure hope so," Umi stepped in, her arms crossed. "They were being pretty aggressive about it so no one blames you. Plus it's better this way, isn't it?"

"It just might be," Kyoko assured her. "We'll just have to see how the people will take this information if it does get out. So all we can do now is wait."

Nico slumped onto the floor, her head pounding from such a crazy first experience. Maki sat beside her, putting her hand on top of the older girl's in an effort to comfort her.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Nico-chan," she consoled the raven-haired. "It's partly my fault."

The third-year rested her forehead on the redhead's shoulder, groaning in fatigue. She really hoped the media wouldn't twist anything around, but she knew from reading so many articles in the past that it was bound to happen.

She messed up.


	20. Chapter 19: Fear

**Has it really been two months already? Sorry about the delay; lot of things going on. But with things slowing down a bit, I should be able to see you guys sooner. Thanks for being patient.**

 **So enjoy!**

* * *

"Nico! Hurry up!"

"Give me a break! Your legs are longer than mine!"

Umi sped down the sideway, looking back every once in a while to the roaring paparazzi that was running after her and Nico. Who would've thought that even after three weeks of Nico's slip up that it was still such big news? But I guess that was the life of an idol.

As soon as Umi reached the edge of the sidewalk, the crosswalk signal blinking as the time for pedestrians was running out, she hastily ran back to grab the out-of-breath third-year. She picked her up over her shoulder before running across the street just in time for the signal to change to red, leaving all the reporters and photographers at the other end.

Without looking back, Umi blended into the crowd as best as she could, sweat breaking at the side of her forehead. She started to feel the weight of Nico's body fall onto her shoulders; she wasn't exactly heavy, but they've been running for blocks and the second-year just didn't have the strength anymore.

"You can put me down now," Nico stated, a little annoyance in her tone.

"Oh, right…sorry." Umi moved out of the way into a small alleyway, out of view from any lurking press. She placed the smaller girl down, looking around to be on guard.

"You don't have to act like a bodyguard," the raven-haired pointed out as she patted herself down. "You're my lyricist, not my hired escort. And you outran all those no life photographers so we should be fine."

The second-year sighed. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, we can't be too careless," she replied, pinching the bridge of her nose when all the memories of the media chasing after them to get more information, even going as far as to ambush them at the entrance of their own school and house. Umi almost knocked one of them out when they roughly gripped onto Kotori's wrist to stop her from leaving. "Just why did we have to be a part of this whole mess?"

"Hey!" Nico retailed, her hands on her hips as she looked up at the taller girl. "I said I was sorry a million times. I didn't think it would go this far either; it's been almost a month of this nonsense. I'm tired of it too."

"I'm sorry," Umi apologized with sincerity, taking a deep breath before hastily pushing Nico against the wall, using her body to blend into the darkness of the alleyway when she heard the same group of nosy journalists and clicking photographers passing by.

"You know, if you keep doing things like this, people might just think you're my partner."

Umi looked down to the red-faced Nico, her body stiffening when she realized just how close she was to the third-year. The blue-haired quickly jumped away, slightly fixing her collar in an effort to cool down her heated face.

"I think we should get going," Umi said, trying to pretend nothing happened. The second-year snuck a peek, making sure the coast was clear before she stepped onto the sidewalk. "Let's go before they come back in this direction."

Nico complied without complaint, knowing full well the trouble that will happen if the media did find her. It was crazy enough that they already cornered her once when she had left the agency by herself. If it wasn't for the security guards at the front of the building, the third-year might've been stuck there all night.

"We should be fine for now."

The two girls walked out onto the sidewalk, cautiously looking left and right in case any of the paparazzi spotted them. But when no one came running or shouting, they left out a sigh of relief as they continued their walk towards the agency.

"Just how long are they going to keep chasing me?" Nico complained, her eyebrows scrunching up in vexation. "It's getting to be really annoying."

Umi narrowed her eyes. "You're not the only one suffering," she pointed out. "And this whole thing started when you opened your mouth."

"We may be friends, but I'm still your senpai," Nico reminded.

"I'm sorry," the second-year sighed as they took a turn. "I really think you should just come out and say it; that Maki is your partner. Why are you running away from that fact?"

"I'm not running away," the raven-haired replied, averting her gaze when Umi glared at her. "It's just – "

"Running away," the second-year interrupted; Nico puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "There's not point in hiding, Nico; you said what you said and you just have to live up to that."

"Easy for you to say," Nico grumbled.

Umi sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't you think Maki would appreciate being recognized as your partner?"

At the sound of Maki's name, Nico turned to Umi with widened eyes. "I – I don't know," she replied, "I don't think she'd want that attention. She already hates how the news reporters chase after her."

"But I think having it known that you have a partner is something she wants," Umi clarified. "I know I would what it to be known that my partner is taken."

Nico remained silent, contemplating Umi's lasts words. She knew the younger girl was right, but Umi didn't know the pressures of just admitting it; first, would her fans still want to support her even if they knew she had someone? And second, would they even forgive her for lying in the first place? Her career was just beginning; she didn't have the luxury of letting such a big thing put her under fire.

"I found her!"

"Let's go!" Umi grabbed the older girl by the wrist, pulling her towards the agency at full speed. Nico didn't know how the hell she was keeping up with the blue-haired's incredible speed, but she was really glad that Umi was fast on her feet. She took a quick turn back to see the mob of reporters chasing after them, each one slowly giving up when they became short of breath.

The two girls sprinted into the building, passing the two guards at the front. Upon entering, they slowed down, turning around to see the mob had been stopped at the entrance.

"That was close," Nico said, breathing heavily as soon as they made it to the elevators. "Thanks for that."

"Not a problem."

Umi pressed the button to call for the elevator as Nico fixed herself. They waited in silence until the blue-haired suddenly asked, "Is Maki upstairs?"

"No."

The second-year hummed in response. "Is she still avoiding the piano?"

Nico sighed. "Yeah…she hasn't played or even looked at one since."

"Have you talked to her?" Umi asked, stepping into the elevator once the doors had opened; Nico followed her.

"I have, but she just tells me she doesn't feel like it," the raven-haired replied. "I can't force her to do it if she doesn't want to."

"I see." It was quiet again as the elevator made its way up. Umi crossed her arms in thought before saying, "I think you need to inspire her."

"Inspire? I'm the last person to be inspiring," Nico argued.

"You're an idol," Umi pointed out. "Who you are and what you're doing is inspiring already. Don't you think that counts for something?"

"I just started," the third-year responded, "I haven't done much yet. I'm practically a nobody."

"Not in Maki's eyes."

Nico turned to look at the taller girl, catching the way she slightly grinned. She probably knew she caught the older girl's attention and Nico would let her have it.

"She's afraid of failing," Umi started as the elevator stopped to let them off of their floor, "but everyone has to face their fear sometime, right?" She looked behind them before walking off. Nico turned back to see what she was looking at, realizing the glass window and seeing how high up they were. In fear, Nico jumped out of the elevator, watching the window disappear behind the closing doors, her heart beating against her chest.

Nico turned to see Umi waiting for at the doorway with a grin. "Am I right or not?"

The third-year sighed. "You're right...as always."

* * *

"Maki-chan, nya!"

Maki looked up from her book to find Rin standing before her, the orange-haired hopping on the balls of her feet.

"What is it?"

"How would you like to come with Kayochin and me to the amusement park?" she asked, swaying back and forth in excitement.

"I'll pass," the redhead replied without hesitation, looking back at her book to continue reading.

"Aw, please, Maki-chan," Rin whined, bending down to lean against the older girl's desk. "We haven't hung out in a while."

Maki sighed, closing her book to look her friend in the eye. "You and Hanayo can go; make it like a date," she suggested.

Rin pouted before her face lit up when an idea hit her. "I know!" she shouted, jumping up to stand on her feet. "Why don't we make it a quadruple date? Eli-chan and Nozomi-chan, Umi-chan and Kotori-chan, Tsubasa-san and Honoka-chan, Nico-chan and you, and Kayochin and me."

"That's five couples," Maki pointed out.

"I know," Rin replied with a confused expression.

"Never mind."

"So what do you say?" Rin asked, slamming her hands on the countertop, putting her face inches from Maki's, her wide smile taking up Maki's whole view.

"I don't think – "

"I think that's a great idea," someone interrupted.

Rin and Maki looked to see that Nico was standing behind the orange-haired, her hands at her hips as she grinned at the idea. Maki stared at her in utter confusion; Nico was still trying to hide their partnership, why would she want to be seen with her in public?

Nico walked over to the first-year's table to join the conversation. "I think we should go," she stated.

Rin jumped in happiness. "Nico-chan agrees with me! So c'mon, Maki-chan!"

"But – "

"C'mon, Maki-chan, we haven't gone on a date in a while," Nico pointed out.

"That's because – "

"Please, Maki-chan!" the orange-haired pleaded, her eyes glowing with anticipation for the older girl's answer.

Maki looked between the two girls, her mind wanted to say no, but as she opened her mouth, the words "Okay" came out.

Rin immediately jumped up in happiness, skipping merrily around the room as their classmates watched her; it wasn't anything new from the orange ball of energy. Maki sighed as Rin repeatedly chanted, "Maki-chan said yes. Maki-chan said yes."

The redhead turned to her partner as she said, "I'm surprised you want to be seen with me."

Nico turned to her with a surprised look before grinning. "Well, I just thought you needed to have some fun after what's been going on recently," she replied with a smirk. "So the great Nico Nii wants to take you out. I'm sure the media won't bother us at the amusement park."

"You were sure they wouldn't be standing outside my house, but there they were at 6 in the morning, waiting for me." Maki narrowed her eyes as Nico jerked at the reminder, pulling on her collar with a weak chuckle.

"I didn't think they would be that extreme," she admitted as Rin continued to skip around the tables. "But the amusement park is a different story. We'll be fine."

Maki raised an eyebrow. "Why do you want to go to the park so much?" she asked.

The third-year's cheeks turned a slight pink. "No – no reason," Nico shyly replied, scratching her nose to try and hide it.

The younger girl was about to ask her another question when Eli and Nozomi walked into their classroom, surprising the first-years as they scrambled to their seats. Rin stopped hopping to approach the pair with an eager smile.

"Eli-chan, Nozomi-chan," she called, shocking her classmates.

Nozomi smiled at the younger girl. "What has you so cheerful this early in the morning?"

"We're going to the amusement park this weekend," Rin replied.

"Who's 'we'?" the purple-haired asked.

"You and Eli-chan, Umi-chan and Kotori-chan, Tsubasa-san and Honoka-chan, Nico-chan and Maki-chan, and Kayochin and me," the orange-haired repeated in one breath.

"Sounds nice," Nozomi commented as Eli made her way to Nico and Maki.

Nico quickly hid behind Maki, her hands tightly gripping the younger girl's shoulders. "What are you doing?" the redhead whispered as Eli came closer.

"Just stop talking," Nico replied.

"I guess I have to rethink that date," Maki retaliated.

"So Nico-chan," Eli started as soon as she made it to them; Nico cowered behind her partner as the blonde smiled with an irritated expression, not wanting to ruin her reputation as Student Council President. Maki could practically see her vein popping out. "Want to explain why you ran off to leave Nozomi and me with the news reporters?"

Maki turned to narrow her eyes at the older girl. "You came here to hide?"

"Of course not!" Nico argued. "I came here to see you."

"Then why did Honoka tell us you told her not to say where you were?" Eli pointed out.

Nico clenched her teeth. "Thanks a lot, Honoka."

"Nicocchi." Nico froze, her nails digging deeper as her grip tightened; Maki wanted to yelp in pain, but Nozomi's annoyed smile – it was even scarier than Eli's. "I think it's time for class."

"But I want to stay here with Maki-chan," Nico nervously chuckled.

"I'm sure Maki-chan wants you to go to class," Nozomi replied, taking one step forward; Nico took one step back.

"Are you sure about that?" the raven-haired said. "Let's ask Maki-chan."

"I want you to go away," Maki replied when Nico turned to her; she lifted her book to continue reading in the few minutes she had left, irritated with the fact that Nico came to her to hide from the other two.

"I guess that settles it," Eli said, walking towards the smaller girl to grab her by the wrist. "Guess we'll be going then."

The blonde dragged her out of the room as Nico protested, Nozomi following after them. The class watched as the three third-years made their way out. "Be good and study hard," Nozomi instructed the whole class with a wink before sliding the door closed.

The classroom was left stunned before their teacher came in. "All right, class; time to start the day."

"I'm so excited," Rin whispered to Maki before sitting down.

As much as Maki didn't want to admit it, she was pretty excited too.

* * *

"Let's go over there!" Honoka suggested, running before anyone would agree or disagree with her. Umi and Kotori followed close behind her, shouting for her to stop running. It wasn't until Tsubasa slyly grabbed her hand did Honoka calm down, realizing she was leaving everyone behind.

"So where to next?" Eli asked as soon as everyone else caught up to them.

"Rollercoaster."

"Tea cup."

"Ferry ride."

"Arcade."

"I guess that narrows it down to the whole park again," the blonde sighed.

"Why don't we get something to eat first?" Nozomi suggested. "It's almost dinner so we should eat something."

Rin raised a hand in agreement. "Let's go find food, nya!"

"I guess we could do that," Umi said, "we should eat now before it gets too late."

Everyone agreed with a nod, but just about everybody was going to walk towards the closest food stand; Nico grabbed Maki by the wrist, stopping her from walking.

"Actually, Maki-chan and I will meet you guys later," she said with a smile, holding on to the puzzled first-year.

"Oh, we can go – "

Kotori and Umi slapped a hand over Honoka's mouth to muffle her next words. "Okay, that sounds good," Kotori said as Honoka continued to talk, trying to figure to why her two friends were stopping her from speaking. "We'll see you guys later."

"Have fun, nya!" Rin said before her and Hanayo followed after the second-years.

Nozomi walked over to the smaller girl, bending down to whisper into her ear so neither Maki nor Eli heard what she said. Nico's eyebrows scrunched up for a while but then widened when Nozomi had finished. When the older girl stood up straight, Nico said, "As if" building even more curiosity in the first-year.

Nozomi winked as she grabbed hold of Eli's hand. "Just be careful," she said as she and the blonde followed after the younger ones.

Nico and Maki watched them until they disappeared into the crowd. "I don't believe her," the raven-haired sighed.

"What'd she say?" the younger girl asked.

"Nothing," Nico replied, waving a hand to dismiss the question. "Let's get going."

"Quick question: where are we going?" the redhead inquired as she followed closely behind her partner so she wouldn't lose track of her in the mass of people.

"You'll see."

Maki didn't ask any more, thinking it would be useless to keep questioning if Nico wasn't going to say anything the first time. They didn't talk the whole way there as Maki watched Nico's pigtails bobbling up and down from her movement. She looked down at the older girl's hands, wanting to reach out and grab it, but knowing at any moment, someone would see them. She was just glad that no media has come to hunt them down.

"Here we are," Nico said, breaking Maki's thoughts. The redhead looked up to realize they were in the line for the Ferris wheel.

"You want to go on the Ferris wheel?" the first-year asked.

Nico nodded. "Yeah, this is the great time to go; clear sky, setting sun; it's perfect," she stated, her arms raised over her head as she gestured at the attraction as the line moved forward. Maki tiptoed to see over the people's heads, catching couples going into each cart.

"Don't you think it'll be a little weird for us to go into one together?" the redhead questioned, noticing that only couples were in the line.

"It's fine," Nico assured her. "We are partners and there's no reporters around." The older girl looked around just to make sure as Maki shook her head. She wasn't quite sure if she wanted to be known as Nico's partner, but she knew Nico didn't want the news to spread from all the running and hiding she's been doing; Maki didn't want to pressure her.

"Tickets please."

Nico handed the boy two tickets before slightly pushing Maki into the cart. The first-year complied, sitting down on one of the benches as they slowly went up for other people to get into the other carts. Nico sat beside her, staring straight ahead.

"Are you going to be all right?" Maki asked, noticing the blank expression on her partner's face.

Nico looked up at her with a nervous but wide smile. "I'll be fine," she replied, putting up her hands to give Maki her signature hand sign. "Nico Nii can handle a small ride."

As Maki opened her mouth to say something, the ride started to move higher up, causing Nico to unconsciously grip onto the younger's hand, her teeth clenched in alarm, watching from the window as the ground left from her view.

The first-year shook her head in disbelief, slowly standing up as Nico watched in horror as her only source of stability was now standing in front of her. Maki extended a hand out for the older girl to take; Nico stared at it in hesitation.

"I won't let you go," she assured the raven-haired; Nico looked up at her. "I promise."

Nico reluctantly took her hand, slowly standing up as her knees wobbled under her. Maki kept a tight grip on her partner's hand, making sure to keep her steady as the older girl locked eyes with Maki, not wanting to look anywhere else.

"I don't know why I thought this was a good idea," Nico grumbled, grabbing onto Maki's other hand for security.

The redhead grinned. "Well it is a nice view," she commented, turning to look out the window.

Nico faced the ground, too afraid to even try and look out. But she knew why she choice this ride specifically in the first place and she wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away right now.

She let go of the taller girl's hands, surprising Maki, before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes to turn towards the window. After a few seconds of mental preparation, Nico opened them, her eyes widening at the view of the sun setting across the horizon, its orange color streaking the town.

"Whoa," she muttered, her body frozen from sight. Maki watched her, smiling at how amazed she looked.

"Yeah…whoa," Maki repeated.

Nico took a step forward, pressing her hand against the glass as she stared out, but when she caught a glimpse of the ground beneath them, her knees buckled and her breathing hitched.

Just as her knees were about to give out, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, keeping her upright. Nico turned to see that Maki had grabbed on to her, pulling her in closer so she would safe enough.

"I told you I wouldn't let go," the first-year reminded.

Nico smiled, letting her body relax against her partner's as she said, "And I said I'm putting you first." As Nico turned her body to face the younger girl, Maki's cheeks burned red from the realization of how close Nico really was.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Maki-chan, do you hate music now?" Nico suddenly asked.

The redhead jumped at the question. "Where is this going?"

The third-year frowned, as she said, "Please don't give up playing the piano, Maki-chan."

Maki looked into the smaller girl's red eyes, noticing how upset they looked as they stared back at her. She's been avoiding the instrument she loved the most for so long, it almost felt like it wasn't a part of her life anymore. And that thought saddened her, but it wasn't enough to get her back into the studio. Nico's never once forced her or mentioned it once, probably because she knew how hurt Maki was that day, but here they were now, Nico's pleaded expression looking up at her.

"Nico-chan…you wouldn't understand – "

The raven-haired cut her by pulling her in for a tight hug, clinging on tightly as if there was anywhere else for Maki to go. "I love it when you play; you look so happy and you enjoy every single second of it," Nico said, her face buried into Maki's chest. "I can't stand to see how depressed you look; it hurts to know that you're still affected by it."

Maki looked out the window, listening to every single word Nico was saying.

"I want to hear you play again," the third-year continued. "I want you to face your fear just like I am now. You're better than anyone I ever heard; those stupid judges don't know a single thing."

The first-year chuckled. "They were well-known compositors and previous award-winning piano players," she stated. "I'm sure they knew what they were doing."

Nico looked up, a pout on her face. "You know what I see when you play the piano?"

"What do you see?"

The older girl brought her hands to Maki's face to cup her chin, her soft skin making Maki's ears burn red. "I see my partner; I see the glum and unimpressed expression everyone else sees turn into passion and delight; I see the Maki that enjoys making music for her own sake, not for the sake of others. I see the girl I fell in love with."

The redhead stared down at Nico before finally leaning down to kiss her. Nico responded immediately, wrapping her arms around her neck as Maki pulled her closer by the waist. She was sure the other occupants could see them, but Maki didn't care; she was too in love to care.

Maki broke away first to catch her breath, breathing in Nico's usual and comforting scent.

"Why are you so persuasive?" the first-year asked.

Nico giggled. "I'll take that as a compliment," she said as Maki leaned down to press their foreheads together.

"I won't give up; I'll keep playing," Maki told her; the older girl smiled. "Thank you."

"I think I deserve more than just a 'thank you'," Nico stated before kissing her again. As the ride lowered, Nico pulled away just enough to ask, "Want to go another round?"


	21. Chapter 20: Winter Rush

**Hello again; first of all, thank you for being patient. And second, I apologize for how long it's taken. I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays and this is my gift to all of you.**

 **Enjoy! And see you around.**

* * *

"We have a problem."

"When do we not have a problem?" Nico sarcastically replied, slightly regretting it when Umi narrowed her eyes at her. "What's going on now?"

The blue-haired threw the magazine across the table, letting it slide towards the older girl who quickly gasped at the front-page cover, a hand over her mouth as Kotori and Ryuu continued to inspect the cause.

"Oh, you're in trouble," Ryuu mindlessly commented to which Nico narrowed her eyes.

"What are we going to do?" Kotori asked.

Nico stared intensely at the cover with fear; why had she been so naïve? She had no idea how she was going to try to fix this, _if_ there was a way.

"Should we just ignore it?" Ryuu suggested.

"But ignoring it will just lead to more suspicion," Umi pointed out. "Silence is just another way of admitting."

"What if we do another press conference?" the ash-haired girl said. "Maybe Nico-chan can deny everything and they'll just leave it like that."

"Let's not forget her mistake the first time," Ryuu reminded that Nico shot him a look.

"Oh, then what should we do?" Kotori sighed.

Before anyone could offer any more suggestions, Nico stood up from her chair, catching their attention. She stared down at the magazine in front of her before her head shot up to look from Umi to Ryuu.

"I'll fix this," she announced.

"How?"

Nico sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at the blue-haired girl. "I just will and you have to trust me."

Umi stared back at the older girl before she turned to Kotori then Ryuu. "I guess we just have to."

* * *

Maki stood mere inches from the door, her hand on the knob with no real intent to turn it. She didn't know what she was trying to accomplish when her heart wasn't even in it and that part scared her the most. She wanted to believe that she still loved playing, but she didn't feel much when she thought about it. Not even sadness was present anymore.

The redhead slowly turned the doorknob, flinching a little when she heard the click. She was one step away from seeing it after so long, hiding behind the door she had pretended for months didn't exist. She had to wonder if doing this right now was the right thing or if she was just forcing herself.

"Maki?"

The first-year jerked up, quickly letting go of the knob for it to click back into place. She turned around to find her mother standing there with a look of concern on her face.

"Mama, you're home," she said in reply, her hands behind her back to hide the nervous shake.

The older woman raised an eyebrow at her daughter's unusual anxiousness. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"No – nothing," Maki tried to chuckle, taking a few steps forward. "I was just…here." She mentally slapped herself for such a lame excuse that no one would buy.

Her mother giggled before gesturing for the first-year to follow her. Maki complied, looking back at the closed door before following her mother into the living room, tea and cookies set out.

Maki sat down across from her mother who had pushed a cup of tea in front of her before taking a sip of hers. The redhead stared at it in contemplation, her mind still wandering to the closed door she had left behind. It frustrated her how difficult it was becoming to actually do it instead of thinking about it.

"What are you thinking about?"

The first-year snapped out of her thoughts, looking up at the older woman who stared at her with a warm grin.

"It's…nothing," Maki muttered, turning her head to the side.

She knew her mother wouldn't buy such a lame excuse especially when she could feel heat radiating off of her cheeks and from the way she heard her mom chuckle, Maki knew she was caught.

"Maki, I won't force you to talk if you don't want to," she started, setting the cup of tea back down before smoothing out her skirt. "But I will give you some advice; there are different types of strengths one could possess: the strength to start, the strength to continue, the strength to let go, and the strength to stop running away."

Maki's gaze shifted to the floor, her thumbs continuously rubbing against each other as her mother continued.

"I know what you experienced has scared you, but you need to remember that life isn't always fair to us. You've come so far from the little girl who didn't know one key from the other and it's amazing how wonderful you sound playing. So you've reached a setback and you feel all your hard work was for nothing. But do you really think that that is what determines your talent?"

The younger girl slowly turned to face her mother, taking in the gentle grin on her face. Maki was glad her mother was here even if it's for a little while; always being home in an empty house all the time was too much when the silence took over. It made her feel better, knowing that despite her busy schedule, her mother still knew what to say. But it was her next choice of words that made her heart jump.

"Do you think Nico-chan would be where she is right now if she just gave up?"

Maki stared wide-eyed, taking in a few minutes to process the images of her partner in her head: all the things Nico has been through, she couldn't even imagine. She quickly stood up from her seat, saying a quick "thank you" to her mother before rushing out the living room.

She halted passed the threshold, glancing at the closed door of her studio before running up the stairs in a rush. She knew what she wanted to do and she couldn't hold herself back anymore. As hard and frustrating as it was, Maki knew she needed to push past her worries and her fears.

And what better time to do that than in the season of giving?

* * *

"Please tell me you're joking."

Nico narrowed her eyes at the second-year as Umi rubbed at her temple, staring down at the plan Nico had formulated the in the past week. Of course, she was serious; she wrote her plan down.

"Is there a problem with it?" Nico raised an eyebrow.

The blue-haired looked up at her with the most un-amused expression she could make as she replied, "I thought we were trying to _avoid_ doing this; you're telling me all that running and hiding was for nothing then?"

Nico chuckled weakly as she scratched the back of her head, remembering all the things that had happened in the past month. "Th – that was just the usual tactic for an idol," she stated. "Never let your secrets out."

Umi sighed. "Ironic considering the fact that your plan is doing the exact opposite."

"Hey, don't forget I'm your upperclassman," Nico reminded, slamming her hands onto the younger girl's desk, catching the attention of a few several other second-years in the room.

"Yes, you remind me almost every day."

"Well, I think this is the way to go," the raven-haired stated, crossing her arms. "I know it doesn't seem ideal considering all that I've went through – "

"All that we went through."

Nico ignored this: " – but don't you think this will be better in the long run?" Umi's expression softened. "Between you and me, Umi, you didn't think I was doing the right thing the first time, right?"

The blue-haired stared into Nico's eyes, trying to read what kind of answer she wanted. But when all she could see was the slight gloominess in her eyes, Umi answered, "No, I didn't think it was the correct way to do it."

Nico grinned. "So then you agree with this plan." It was more of a statement than a question, but Umi nodded anyway. "Great, then I shall bring it up with – "

"Nico-chan!"

The sliding room slid open with a bang as Honoka hurried in, out of breath and in shock. She quickly ran through the tables towards Nico and Umi, grabbing hold of the third-year's shoulders with urgency. Nico stumbled back from impact, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"Honoka, what do you think you're doing?" Umi scolded as Honoka kept a firm grip.

"Nico…chan," she breathed, sweat rolling down her forehead. "They're here."

"Huh?"

It took a few seconds for the ginger-haired girl to regain enough oxygen for her to speak again. "They're here; right outside of the gates. They're looking for you and it's going crazy."

The older girl had a lot of questions about the ambiguous statement, but she started by asking, "Who's here? And why?"

Before Honoka could answer, the students in the class started to gather closer to the windows, trying their best to see what was going on as chatter started to fill up the room. Umi joined them to see what was happening, trying her best to make her way through her classmates.

"Honoka," Nico called, grabbing her attention. "Who exactly is 'they'?"

The second-year chuckled nervously, but didn't have time to answer when Umi had walked back through the crowd, a frown on her face.

"What is it?" Nico questioned. "Spit it out!"

Umi sighed. "It's the paparazzi and they want to know about yesterday's picture release."

Nico's eyes grew wide as she pushed past the second-years crowding the windows to see for herself. She smashed her face into the glass, muffled screaming coming through as she caught sight of the photographers and news reporters standing outside the gate of their school, a few teachers standing by the entrance to keep them from coming in.

She didn't have time for this; she had other things to worry about. At least she had a good week of relaxation before they came back to make her life hell.

The third-year pushed her way out to rejoin Umi and Honoka who had been talking about a way out without gathering attention. But from the frowns on their faces, Nico knew that the news reporters were going to be even more determined to trap her in a corner to get her talking.

"Apparently they're guarding the back entrance too," Umi informed her.

Nico clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, putting her hand to her chin in thought. "What if we hide in school? They can't come in and I'm sure they wouldn't want to wait forever," the older girl suggested.

Umi shook her head. "They're way more tenacious about getting some sort of scoop from you," she stated. "They won't give up as easily anymore."

"You're a rising idol, any gossip about you is practically pure gold," Honoka added. "What are we going to do?"

Before Nico or Umi could reply, the entrance slid open again, catching everyone's attention as a teacher strode into the room, his eyes slowly moving around to the startled girls as they started to disperse from the window.

"Nico," the blue-haired whispered, keeping her eyes on the teacher with caution.

Nico turned to the taller girl. "What?"

"Sneak through the back entrance and run down the hall," she replied, discreetly pulling the older girl behind her, which confused both Nico and Honoka.

"What's going on?" Honoka asked in a hushed voice.

"He isn't a teacher," Umi stated, clutching on to Nico's sleeve as he scanned over them.

"Huh? Then what is he?" Nico questioned, her shoulder smashed against Umi's back as the second-year kept her close.

Umi didn't have time to respond as the man started to silently walk around the room. Nico surpassed a yelp as the blue-haired pushed her low enough to crouch behind the desk. She would have scolded Umi, but the hard look on her face told her it was best not to.

Honoka kept her gaze on the unfamiliar face as well as Umi whispered quick instructions to the both of them: "I want you two to get out of this classroom and hide. Stay low to hide behind the desks, Nico; Honoka, keep watch on her." They nodded before Nico started to crawl on all fours, Honoka walking close to be her eyes.

The raven-haired had no idea what was going on, but Umi always seemed to have a sense for danger when it was near so she didn't question it, much less doubt her. The second-years in the class watched her, but didn't say anything about her, figuring it was best not to point her out if Nico looked like she wanted to escape.

Honoka motioned for her to stop before she could take another step as the man strode past the opening between the rows where Nico could have easily been seen. It took another five seconds for the ginger-haired girl to gesture for the older girl to continue; Nico followed.

Just how long was this stupid classroom? It felt like she's been crawling forever now as she abruptly stopped yet again to take a turn into the next aisle when a pair of men's shoes stepped into her line of vision. She turned around to see Umi sitting at her desk, her eyes still trailing the silent man.

Honoka had already made it to the front, signaling for Nico to make her way towards her. The third-year hurriedly joined the younger girl before making her way to the door. She made sure the man's back was to her before she quietly stood up, Honoka behind her.

Nico slid the door open and –

"She's here!"

She stumbled back into Honoka as the woman standing by the door shouted in excitement, getting a good look at the startled girls. It wasn't long till the older woman shoved a recorder towards Nico, pulling out a notepad that was scribbled with a bunch of questions.

"Yazawa Nico, how do you explain the picture taken of you last week?" she questioned; Nico stuttered in shock, the second-years frozen in shock, as she quickly asked another one. "What can you say about your silence about your slip up in your last conference?"

As the man fumbled with his small camera to rejoin his partner, Umi abruptly stood up, tripping him in her process to grab Nico and Honoka out of the new reporter's space. She hastily pushed her out of the way, dragging the two girls out the door and pushing them into the hall.

"Nico, go find Maki and hide; Honoka, I want you to warn the others," she instructed them. "If these two snuck in, that means more will try the same thing."

"But – but what about you?" the ginger-haired girl asked.

"I'll take care of these two," she informed them. "If you see any teachers, tell them what's going on inside the building, but whatever you do, stay away from anyone you don't recognize. They're getting more pertinacious."

"What does that mean?" Nico and Honoka asked simultaneously.

"Never mind, just go!"

They slammed into each other before they ran in opposite directions, Honoka towards the third-years' rooms and Nico towards the first years', moving their feet as fast as they could. Umi shook her head in disbelief before she heard painful groaning from behind, realizing the news reporter and her photographer were slowly recovering.

This is not how she thought the day before Christmas would be.

* * *

Nico took a quick turn down the hall, skidding a few inches due her abrupt halt before sprinting again. She was running out of breath; was her school that big?

As soon as she made it to a familiar classroom door, she hurriedly opened it, short of breath and a bit disheveled. The first-years watched as she searched the room, finally finding red among the crowd.

She strode towards Maki, her legs a bit wobbly from her marathon run as she lazily grabbed at her hand.

"Geez, Nico-chan, when you said you would be eating lunch with Umi, I didn't think that's what you meant," Maki said, her eyes narrowed and her face red with what Nico could assume to be jealousy.

"Eh?" The raven-haired looked down at her rumpled uniform. "No; we have to go Maki-chan." She started to pull the younger girl's arm in an attempt to pick her up from her chair, Hanayo and Rin watching in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Maki inquired with a bit of irritation, keeping herself in her seat. "Lunch break is almost over. I can't leave now."

"We need to go, Maki-chan," Nico whined, continuing to pull her arm. "You can't be here right now or they'll find you."

"Who's 'they'?"

"Yazawa Nico!" someone shouted from the open doorway, catching sight of the idol as he passed by; the man held a recorder with a camera around his neck. How they hell were the getting passed the teachers and into the school?

Upon sighting Nico's hand clasped around Maki's, both frozen, the news reporter hastily brought his camera to his face to take a clear picture of the two girls. But before he snapped a photo, Rin had jumped in front, smacking the device out of his hands.

"That's rude, nya," she scolded with fiery eyes, realizing quickly why Nico was so . She tore the camera from his neck, running out the classroom with it in hand. He took the bait, following after her.

"What was that?" Maki questioned before she finally complied and let Nico pull her up.

"No time to explain right now," the third-year started, dragging her partner towards the exit, "but we need to hide until they leave. Or at least we can find a way out of this." She turned to Hanayo. "Stay out of sight and try to find the others. Speak to no one, got it?" Hanayo nodded before the two girls walked out the door.

Nico decided to run in the opposite direction she had come from, her hand gripped around Maki's. If Rin had run in the same direction, she should be distracting any other paparazzi that had found their way in.

"Nico-chan, where are we going?" the redhead asked, easily keeping up with Nico.

"Somewhere we can hide for a while," Nico answered, stopping when she was met with a decision. She looked left and right, figuring out the best path to take. They were still in the school's main area, which meant photographers and news reporters would be snooping around the classrooms to look for any of them. "Dammit, where do we go?"

Maki squeezed her hand to grab her attention; Nico looked up at the younger girl as she said, "I might have a place in mind."

* * *

Nico sighed, her head leaning against the piano's fallboard. She was deadbeat tired and frustrated; it was Christmas Eve and she didn't understand why nosy reporters wanted to spend the day chasing an unknown idol like her. She just hoped everyone else was able to hide safely; she had to thank all of them later.

The music room was quiet, just the way Nico wanted it. They were in the unoccupied area of the school, most of the rooms only used for clubroom activities, which meant that none of the news reporters would think to look in there. But they were met with three more people who had snuck into the building. Maki had kneed two of them and Nico had thrown one of reporters' recorders out a nearby window to distract him.

Nico looked at the door to make sure their makeshift cover was still up and serving its purpose. She sighed again, slamming her forehead on the board.

"Don't do that, you'll dent it," Maki scolded from the corner of the room.

The third-year grumbled, looking up at the redhead from across the room, an eyebrow raised as her lip twitched.

"Oh, sorry, if my head cracked open, its fine as long as the piano is safe," she replied sarcastically to which Maki shook her head. "Just why are you all the way over there anyway?"

"No reason," Maki quickly replied, twirling a strand of hair. Before Nico could say anything, the younger girl stated, "You still haven't told me what's going on and why the reporters have gone crazy again."

Nico chuckled weakly, running the back of her neck as Maki found nothing to be funny. The raven-haired cleared her throat, realizing the serious expression on her partner's face.

"I may have…messed up again," she muttered.

"What? I can't hear you."

The older girl huffed. "I messed up again."

"What'd you do?" Maki questioned, crossing her arms and legs.

Nico averted her gaze, deciding to look out the window instead in hopes that it could help her tell Maki. It was part of her plan _not_ to tell her and she wouldn't have found out since she didn't care for celebrity gossip anyways. But her plan flew out the window when the paparazzi had infiltrated their school.

"Do you remember when we went to the amusement park?" Nico started, her eyes on the glass window.

"Yeah, what about that?"

"Do you remember the last ride we did?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember – ?"

"Nico-chan, I remember everything, so just get straight to the point," Maki interrupted her with an impatient scowl.

The third-year sighed again. "Well, I was wrong," she admitted with slumped shoulders, cutting Maki's next words off. "We were caught…in the Ferris wheel."

Maki stared at her in thought, wondering just what Nico meant. But when the memories flooded back into her brain, she shoved her face into her hands, internally screaming. Nico watched with guilt, her eyes shifting from Maki to the floor as her thumbs fiddled nervously.

It took another minute until Maki looked back up to Nico. "How much did they see?"

"Not much," Nico told her. "It's not too clear of a picture; it could honestly be anyone, but it wouldn't have made it to the front cover of a magazine if they half-knew it was us."

"Wait! It's on a front cover?" the redhead asked, her eyes wide.

Nico bit her lip as she nodded and Maki buried her face into her hands again. "What are we going to do?" the first-year murmured.

"We – well, I had some sort of plan," Nico said.

Maki looked at her again. "Just what kind of plan?"

"You…might not agree with me."

This made the younger girl even more curious as to what Nico came up with. "What did you plan, Nico-chan…? And you better not say – "

"I was going to outright say it; that you're my partner."

Maki abruptly stood up, stomping towards the frightened third-year. She grabbed her collar to lift her off her seat, her teeth clenched. "What would that solve? They'd just keep following us and ambushing us for more gossip on our relationship. Don't you think that's inconvenient? You may want to be in the spotlight, but I'd rather not be put on the front cover of magazines or have my words mixed around in an interview. That plan is stupid!"

Nico pushed the taller girl's hands off of her, her angered red eyes staring back at her. But something about the slight frown on her lips told Maki that she wasn't entirely upset.

"You think I like doing this too?" she retorted. "I thought I should do this, not for me, but for you, Maki-chan." Maki jerked up. "You shouldn't be caught in the crossfire of any mess I've made, but you are because you're my partner. And you will be for the rest of your life. I thought if I finally just admit it, they wouldn't be so pushy about it. So I'm sorry my plan is so _stupid_."

The way Nico spat her last word sent a twinge of pain in Maki's heart. Nico trotted around the piano to let herself cool down, stopping when she finished two trips, leaning against the window.

The younger girl stared at Nico's back for a few seconds before trying to pull her back away from the glass. The raven-haired resisted at first, but after the fourth tug, she turned around to follow Maki.

It wasn't until she saw the fallboard swing open did she realize that she had been seated on the piano bench and that Maki had opened the piano.

She turned to the redhead. "Wh – what are you doing?"

Maki grinned. "I'm fulfilling my promise," she simply stated. She turned back to the instrument with anxious eyes; she actually arranged a new song, but playing it was a different story. She was never able to open the door to her piano or walk into the building of Mori-sensei's studio; this was her first time in months that she had actually been near one and the thought of playing it scared her.

Her train of thought broke when she felt a hand squeeze hers to comfort her. She looked at Nico who smiled at her.

"You can do it, Maki-chan; I believe in you."

And when she leaned down to peck Nico on the lips before shakily placing her fingers on the key, Maki knew even in the silence, music was still all around. It's just this time; she'd be the one making it.

* * *

 **Sorry for any errors.**


	22. Chapter 21: Decisions, Decisions

**Sorry this took like 7 months to complete, but I hope you enjoy. Sorry for any errors; will be fixed later.**

 **Thank you for all your comments; I truly do appreciate them. I'm doing well; just very busy with life (nothing bad). I'm thankful for all of your patience and I hope to continue writing for you all.**

* * *

"Maki-chan, you're straying again."

The redhead abruptly stopped, her fingers lightly pressed into the keyboard as her wrist hovered over. She sighed out of frustration before laying her hands on her lap, her eyes closed and her mind shouting.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Mori-sensei assured her. "You'll get back into it in no time. Take a break for now."

Maki sighed again, but didn't complain as she slid off the piano bench to stretch; she walked over to the window, watching as cars sped by the building. The trees started to grow its leaves back as the winter season was slowly coming to an end, but the cold still rushed passed despite the rays of the sun. It was late February, which meant big things would be happening very soon.

"Spring is coming soon," Mori-sensei commented; Maki nodded in agreement. "I wonder when the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom."

"I heard it will be earlier this year," the redhead informed him, her eyes trailing a young couple making their way passed on the sidewalk.

The old man chuckled before saying, "Is that so? My wife and I should go see it together."

"That'd be nice." Maki smiled at the thought of it as it went silent for a few seconds.

"Maki-chan," the old man called from his desk; the redhead turned to face him. "Have you decided what you want to do?"

The first-year's raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean your goals," he clarified, standing up to walk towards the piano Maki had just left. "I know you started playing again, but you haven't talked about what you want to do from here on out."

"You mean…"

"The competition," Mori-sensei finished, gently sitting on the bench. "You haven't really said your thoughts on it."

Maki turned back to the window, mindlessly watching the trees swaying with the wind. "What do you think I should do?"

Mori-sensei smiled at the redhead's genuine confused look on her face, patting the empty spot beside him. Maki complied without hesitation, sitting down beside him as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"What do you see?" he asked, gesturing to the instrument in front of them.

"A piano?" the younger girl answered, looking at her teacher with a questioning expression.

Mori-sensei grinned as if he was trying to keep his laughter within himself before saying, "Now ask me what I see."

"What do you see?"

"I see frustration, hard work, late nights of restless eyes and cramped fingers." His hands lingered gently on the keys. "I see crumpled music sheets and ringing ears; a bit of tears and a whole lot of sighs." Maki started to wonder why she asked in the first place, but then Mori-sensei smiled even wider, lightly pressing down on one of the keys. "But I also see passion, a smile every now and then, maybe a beautiful voice that sings along." He turned to the first-year. "I see a little girl who dreamt big dreams; a will of determination to go with it."

The older man placed Maki's hands on the keyboard before continuing; "You have great potential to do what your heart desires. Setbacks don't make us stronger, it's what we do after that builds us up."

The redhead looked down at her hands. "But what if I'm not ready?"

"Then you're not," he simply stated. "Goals change and that's okay. No one is forcing you to want what you wanted in the past." He stood up from the bench to make his way back to his desk. "It's you who decides where you go from here, but think before you decide. Because not every choice is a right one."

Maki watched as he plopped down into his chair, his eyes glued back to the computer screen. She watched him for a moment before turning back around at the empty music sheet in front of her.

She sighed before deciding to put the paper back into her bag, slinging it over her shoulder before fixing herself. She strode to the exit, stopping right in front of it; "I'll think about it," she informed Mori-sensei without looking at him.

From her peripheral, Maki could see a slight hint of a grin. "Good work today, Maki-chan."

The first-year nodded in acknowledgement before heading out the door, her footsteps filling the soundless hallway. She strode with nervousness and worry, her feet feeling heavy underneath her. She's pushed the thought of any sort of competition out of her head that the nationals were nowhere near her thoughts.

"Maki-chan."

The redhead snapped out of her thoughts, turning to the source of the sound to find Aoi looking at her in great curiosity. "Something on your mind?" the college student asked.

Maki shook her head. "Nothing in particular."

"Your hair twirling says otherwise," Aoi pointed out, narrowing her eyes at the first-year.

The redhead abruptly stopped, realizing at some point, her hand had made its way up to her hair, her fingers twirling a single strand in between them. She slowly put it down in embarrassment as she avoided any eye contact with the older girl.

"If you want to talk about it…" she trailed off, her eyes catching the slight twitch of Maki's fingers. She watched for a few more seconds before standing up from her chair, quickly grabbing her back and walking around the desk. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat."

Maki didn't have time to react before being pulled into the elevator by Aoi. It wasn't until the doors closed did she find her voice. "Aren't you supposed to be working?" The older girl answered with a hand wave and a smile. "That doesn't answer anything."

"It's fine," she replied, "there's no other students coming in today."

The redhead groaned, but didn't complain as Aoi started to babble on about some annoying girl in her class that won't stop talking. But from the way Aoi just kept going, Maki didn't understand why Aoi would find herself annoying. Although, she would never say the insult out loud, knowing full well how terrible the college student was with sarcastic insults.

"What do you think I should do?" Aoi asked, breaking Maki's thoughts.

The first-year blinked in confusion before saying, "Do about what?"

Aoi shook her head. "My life," she replied sarcastically.

 _That's the real question._

* * *

"Onee-chan! Someone is here!"

Upon the call of her name and the slight tug of her shirt, Nico finally realized there was a knock on the door, several hard ones to be exact. She turned to her little sister who stood next to her, still holding onto Nico with a determined look on her face.

"Cocoa, can you see who that is?"

Without hesitation, the younger girl ran from the kitchen towards the entrance with lightning speed as Nico continued washing the sink full of dishes. To think she'd come home to no work after school was a delusional thought after so many years of doing the same routine. But this time was different; with her final year of high school coming closer to the end, it was time to take things more seriously; although, maybe waiting till a month before her graduation was the wrong way to go. But it still wasn't too late.

Graduation seemed so far yet so close at the same time; it almost felt too unreal to even think about. With the way things were going with her career, Nico knew just how busy things were about to get after her studies were finished; they've been all talking about future projects and plans already so who knew where Nico would end up in the next year. But that meant –

Hands quickly grabbed Nico's breasts without warning, causing a yelp to escape the raven-haired's throat, catching her three siblings attention.

"No – Nozomi!"

The taller girl giggled without releasing Nico from her grasp, instead held her tighter as she said, "My, my, Nicocchi, what's got all your attention? You didn't even notice I had walked in. I'm surprised since you always react to my presence."

Nico pushed her hands away before turning to face her, hands on her hips and glaring eyes burning Nozomi from head to toe. "Negatively," she added. Nozomi grinned, taking the insult as a compliment before sitting down at the dining table. "What are you doing here anyways?"

The older girl continued to grin without a word, infuriating the shorter girl. "Are you just going to smile stupidly at me?"

Nozomi faked a pout at her words as she said, "Does Nicocchi not want to spend time with her childhood friend?"

Before Nico could kick the purple-haired out of her apartment, she caught a glimpse of three pairs of ruby eyes intently watching them from behind the door of the other room.

"You're pushing your luck," the raven-haired grumbled, turning away to finish the rest of the dishes. "You never answered my question."

"I thought you wanted some company," Nozomi replied.

"Did it have to be your company?" the raven-haired sarcastically asked, washing the last of the dishes.

"You wound me."

"Anytime."

It was quiet for a minute, the only sound coming from the running water of the sink. Nico knew Nozomi's silence meant that something important needed to be said and the thought of what might be coming next scared her a little. The purple-haired was wiser than people gave her credit for; she didn't carry those tarot cards around for nothing.

Nico turned the water off, sighing before Nozomi appeared beside her. "I know you have something to say," she stated, looking straight into turquoise eyes; it was worried, but genuine.

"It seems I've been caught," the older girl smiled, but Nico knew it wasn't all that happy, especially not with how quiet she had gotten again.

The younger girl blinked a few times before Nozomi spoke up. "You're becoming quite popular, Nicocchi."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "That's what you came here to tell me?" That didn't seem _that_ important enough for Nozomi to come out of her way to the Yazawa's home.

"So where do you think you'll be going from here?" the purple-haired asked.

"I haven't really thought about it," Nico replied, "not that I should right now. I need to focus on graduating high school first."

The raven-haired walked away to head towards the fridge, mentally debating if she should cook something or just warm up leftovers from yesterday. It's not like the three little ones would really mind anyway: food was food after all.

"You should give it some thought," Nozomi advised, watching Nico rummage through the ridge.

The shorter girl huffed, standing straight up to face her friend. "You know, you and Eli always tell me to focus on school and when I am, you tell me to focus on something else." She flipped her bangs away from her eyes. "Just what do you want me to do."

The purple-haired put her hands behind her back, giving the shorter girl her usual motherly smile that anyone could fall for. "I'm glad you're putting more effort into studying, but – " she took a few steps toward Nico until she was able to hold the raven-haired's wrist in her hands, " – I'm talking about something else."

Nico's eyebrows scrunched up before she pulled away, not in anger, but in anxiousness. "You don't think I _haven't_ thought about it?"

"I'm not saying you haven't," Nozomi chuckled. "But that small brain can only take in so much." She patted the shorter girl's head a few times before Nico slapped it away with a growl. "But you will get busier when school is over and times like this will be limited."

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Nico suddenly asked, a little surprised the question came out without any hesitation. Nozomi's shocked expression said it all too, the way she blinked a few times in amazement before it softened again.

"The great idol is asking little me for help?" the fortune-teller teased, but then quickly stopped before the younger girl could retaliate by throwing her out. "I think you already have an answer."

"What is it?"

The purple-haired put a finger to her lips, winking at the shorter girl who sighed loudly in response: why did Nozomi always have to answer things in such a roundabout way?

Nico took the leftovers out before heading to the open counter space to start warming up dinner, Nozomi's eyes quietly followed with a grin, happily humming to fill the silence. It annoyed the raven-haired a little bit, mostly because she _knew_ Nozomi had some sort of answer, but just wouldn't tell her. Unless…Nozomi didn't really have the answer and she was just playing mind games…

The shorter girl's shoulders slumped in thought before Nozomi gently placed both of her hands there. "You're thinking too much, Nicocchi."

"Well, who's fault is that?" the raven-haired glared.

The taller girl wrapped her arms around Nico, leaning into her tiny body frame before she pressed their cheeks together, pulling the younger girl into a warm hug that she didn't know she needed.

"I know you'll figure it out," she said, hugging her a little tighter. "You're good at these things, better than Elicchi and I actually. You're brighter than you think you are."

"Stop trying to flatter me." Despite her words, she leaned into Nozomi, her weight falling onto the taller girl; the purple-haired only smiled, the smell of Nico's shampoo filling the air around her.

Neither said anything for a while has Nico started to contemplate her options, pouting with how difficult the situation was becoming. She had ideas, but no real plan that followed through; Maki was destined to be a doctor which meant her future looked just as busy as Nico's.

"Onee-sama!" They heard a gasp; the two high schoolers turned around to find the young Yazawas staring at them. "Are you cheating on Maki-chan with Nozomi-nee?"

"What?" Nico pushed herself out of the taller girl's arms, Nozomi simply laughing at the confusion and the look on the raven-haired's face. "No, Nozomi was just trying to comfort me; nothing is going on."

Cocoro huffed, her and Cocoa crossing their arms before saying, "Okay, you better not because we like Maki-chan."

"Like Maki-chan," Cotaro repeated, also crossing his arms.

Nico shook her head at the comment, grinning at her younger siblings. "I know; I like Maki-chan too so I would never do such a thing." She walked over to them, patting each of their heads so their facial expressions would soften as she bent down to be at eye level with them. "Let me tell you a secret, okay?"

"A secret?" Cocoa practically shouted in excitement that Nico had to take a moment to respond due to the sudden ringing in her ears.

"Yes," Nico said quietly in an effort to calm her down. "And I want you to keep this to yourself; not even Maki-chan can know."

"What about Nozomi-nee?" Cocoro asked, looking behind her older sister to the purple-haired.

"Nozomi knows everything already," the third-year replied with a smile to hide the fact that she was mentally slapping herself for feeding the taller girl's ego; she was going to regret that statement later. "So you promise to keep this among us?" They nodded in anticipation. "As of right now, there's someone out there who is meant just for you and you alone."

"What are they doing?" Cocoa asked, her eyes wide.

Nico thought for a second before saying, "Anything really; they could be reading a book – " she looked at Cocoro, " – or playing in the playground – " she then turned to Cocoa, " – or even drooling all over their older sisters." She grabbed onto Cotaro, pulling him into her arms to tickle him for a few seconds to lighten the mood.

"They're out there," she continued with a small smile. "And maybe a bunch of facts and tests will bring you together, but you know what makes them special?" They just stared at her, waiting for an answer; Nico pointed to Cocoro's chest, their eyes following her finger. "It's your heart."

The two little girls silently touched their chest in amazement, taking in their older sister's words with great wonder.

"Is Maki-chan special to you?" Cocoro inquired.

"You can say that," Nico stated.

"Is she going to stay for a long time?" Cocoa asked.

The third-year chuckled at the question, patting her little sister on the head. "Forever."

"That means we get to play with Maki-chan again!" she exclaimed, a fist in the air. Cocoro and Cotaro agreed in joy before they ran back into the room, leaving the two third-years alone in the kitchen.

"Well, aren't you a good older sister," Nozomi commented in slightly teasing tone.

Nico groaned as she stood back up to finish preparing dinner. "Don't start now, Nozomi," she warned, walking past her.

"But you do realize, Nicocchi," the purple-haired started, standing next to the shorter girl with her usual motherly smile.

"Realize what?"

The fortune-teller dawdled towards the dining table, sitting on one of the chairs before replying, "What you're going to do."

* * *

Maki heard her footsteps before she even saw her, sighing loudly before the classroom door slid open with a bang, revealing the orange-haired girl; just the person she was expecting.

"What did sensei tell you about running the halls?" she said, ignoring the way Rin stomped over to her, a look of frustration on her face.

Rin disregarded the question entirely, slamming her hands on Maki's desk. "What do you mean you're not going to participate in any competitions anymore?" she inquired harshly.

Maki sighed; looking past the orange-haired's shoulders to find a nervous Hanayo behind her. "I thought you weren't going to tell her," she remembered.

Despite the redhead's calm manner, the younger girl hastily bowed in apologize as she mumbled, "I'm sorry, Maki-chan. Rin-chan brought it up and I – I didn't know what to say!"

"I guess she is your partner," she stated, looking back at Rin with hardly any reaction, "she would have found out at some point anyway."

The orange-haired towered Maki. "How can you just say something so easily?"

"Well, you would've," the redhead replied sarcastically, but Rin wasn't taking any snide remarks today.

"You know what I'm talking about, Maki-chan!" She pounded on the desk again in disappointment; Maki was really glad everyone decided to go outside to eat lunch today in order to enjoy the nice weather. "You can't just waste your talent, nya!"

"If I had talent, why am I sitting her instead of the piano, practicing for nationals?" Maki pointed out, keeping her composure so she wouldn't blow up at her friend. "I'm obviously not of that level."

"You got second place," Rin reminded her. "That's close to first – "

"But it's _not_ first," the older girl interrupted her with a glare that Rin took a step back in surprise. "Second place only means so much when you end up sitting in the audience instead of the stage. So tell me, Rin, how is that good enough?"

"But Maki-chan – "

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," she cut her off.

Maki turned away from her friends, watching the wind blow through the trees of the courtyard in silence before she watched Hanayo and Rin walk away from her peripheral vision. The classroom door slid open again (more gently than before) and closed with a quiet snap; the redhead closed her eyes, tiredly exhaling.

"Staying up late again, Maki-chan?"

The first-year looked up at the familiar voice, finding Nico standing at the edge of her desk, a wide smile donning her face.

"What are you doing here?" Maki asked, a little surprised and a lot happier, although, she would never bluntly show that expression.

"Nico can't just visit her partner whenever she likes?" the raven-haired replied. "I didn't see you out there or in the piano room so this was the last place you could be."

"Am I that obvious?" The third-year shrugged, mostly out of consideration. "I thought you'd be with Nozomi and Eli."

The raven-haired fake gagged at the two names before pulling the chair from the desk in front of Maki's to sit down on. "I can only handle so much of those two together," she stated as she set down a wrapped cloth on the desk.

"What's that?" Maki pointed to the object.

Nico smirked in response. "You didn't think the Great Idol Nico Nii would just come empty handed, did you?" _So much pride in such a small body_.

The third-year unwrapped it, revealing a small bento box with a badly cut, purple papered "M" taped on to it. Maki's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion before she looked up for an explanation.

"Cocoa wanted to make sure you knew it was yours," she stated with a weak chuckle in embarrassment.

Maki opened the lid, trying not to revel in the smell but her eyes grew wide at the assortment displaced for her. She didn't know where to start first: the rice, the chicken, or the vegetables. Would she be able to actually finish this before lunch was over?

Before she could actually decide, a piece of chicken was shoved in her face; she looked up, slightly blushing at the slight of Nico's glowing face. She held the chopsticks in her hands, holding it out towards the first-year.

"What are you doing?" the redhead asked.

The older girl's face scrunched up in disappointment. "I'm trying to feed you obviously; now say 'ahhh'."

"No."

Nico's expression quickly turned sour, puffing out her cheeks as she shoved the chopsticks closer to the younger girl. Maki slowly backed away as much as her chair allowed her but it was enough for the raven-haired to stand up in frustration. "Maki-chan, just eat it!"

"I can feed myself just fine," she stated.

"I know that," Nico argued, edging closer, "now just do this for me once and I'll stop."

The first-year finally complied, hastily eating the chicken without even a glance in Nico's direction. The older girl rolled her eyes, but didn't say anymore, handing Maki another set of chopsticks.

"So…" Nico trailed off as the younger girl started to play with the bento.

"Hmm?"

"Was there something you want to talk about?"

The redhead looked at her. "Nothing that comes to mind."

"Are you sure?" Maki nodded in response to which Nico scratched the back of her head in slight irritation. "Maki-chan, you know if there's something wrong, you can always talk to me."

The first-year sighed. "I do know that."

"So…nothing to talk about at all?"

"Nico-chan, there's nothing."

The raven-haired leaned forward, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "Then why was Rin so upset when she left earlier?"

Maki stopped playing with her food to look up at her partner, blinking a few times before her eyes trailed around Nico. She put the chopsticks down and cleared her throat before saying, "It's nothing."

"That took an awful lot of time to say for it to be believable," the third-year stated, half sarcastically, half seriously.

The redhead's cheeks turned a bright pink. "It's really nothing to worry about, Nico-chan; you have other things to worry about."

"Like you."

Maki almost choked on her saliva at the comment, turning to face the window in order to hide her embarrassment. She heard Nico giggle at the reaction before small hands touched her cheeks, slowly forcing her to face the raven-haired. "You're cute when you're self-conscious." The younger girl pouted. "Talk to me, Maki-chan."

She took Nico's hands into her own, gradually setting them down on the table before speaking: "It's about playing competitively."

"Do you not want to?"

The younger girl took a deep breath, her hands still on top of Nico's, unconsciously rubbing the back of her hands with her fingers. "That's the problem…I don't quite know."

"Hmm…is that so?" Nico looked up at the ceiling in thought. "Do you think you're not good enough?"

The redhead unconsciously scoffed before clearing her throat in realization. "That's sort of…the reason."

"Really?" The high-pitched tone in Nico's voice surprised the first-year before the older girl laughed. "Nishikino Maki – ow!" The redhead scratched the back of Nico's hands with her nails, staring her dead in the face. "Maki-chan, I was just – ow – kidding." She stopped.

"I think you're great at everything," the raven-haired continued, flipping her hands over to hold Maki's. "So shouldn't you believe in yourself as well?" The younger girl pursed her lips. "You are more talented than anyone I know of."

"Who do you know?"

"Ryuu." Maki almost snorted with laughter at the joke; Nico smiled. "You have so much going for you and so many people believe in you. Don't you think it's time to stop doubting your abilities?"

"It's not that easy, Nico-chan," the redhead replied, mindlessly playing with Nico's hands in the process.

"I know that out of anyone around here." Maki's hand movements stopped as the words slipped out; she looked down at them in sudden consciousness of her words. "Maki-chan," Nico called; the first-year looked up. "I've watched you for these past months and you've got the passion and love for the instrument. You've got so much fire in your eyes that I don't see in anyone else."

The redhead listened intently, not noticing that the third-year had intertwined their fingers together. "Is that enough for your ego?" Nico teased.

"Way to ruin it," the younger girl commented, trying to get her hands out of her partner's grip.

"Maki-chan~" the raven-haired sang, her grasp getting tighter.

"No." Maki continued to pull her hands as the older girl continued to call her name with a joyful grin. It was a ridiculous back-and-forth battle that the redhead never thought she'd ever have with someone, but here she was, going along with Nico's game because it was actually fun.

"C'mon, Maki-chan," Nico pouted.

"What is it?"

The third-year leaned over just enough to peck the taller girl on the lips, a wide smile following after. "I love you."

And just maybe, she figured it out.


	23. Chapter 22: Under the Cherry Blossoms

**Inspired by Dango Daikazoku and Kokoro no Jutsu by Kyle Landry.**

* * *

"Get it together, Eli," Nico practically demanded, hands on her hips and lips pursed in irritation.

The blonde stared at Nico in surprise before she slammed her hands on the desk. "Don't tell me to calm down," she replied.

"I didn't!" the raven-haired argued.

"Would you two stop it?" Nozomi groaned, head in her hands. She slowly looked up, eyes red and dark circles around them. "You're giving me a headache."

"We're giving _you_ a headache?" the raven-haired snarled behind clenched teeth. "Did you see what we have to study by next week?"

Eli sighed, trying to read the same page she has been reading for the past hour now. The material was no joke; if she couldn't even get it, what are the chances Nico would.

"Okay, break," the blonde stated, standing to stretch as she walked towards Nozomi's kitchen.

"We just had one," Nico reminded, eyebrows furrowed.

"Relax, Nicocchi," the older girl said, also standing up to follow her partner. "We should take our time with this, not rush to put everything in."

The raven-haired groaned, resting her forehead on the table. "This is all-or-nothing," she muttered, "if I fail even one exam, I'm screwed and I won't be able to graduate."

"Well, you should've been studying harder this whole time," Eli commented, pouring tea for all of them as Nozomi went through the cabinets for snacks; the shorter girl glared at her. "You'll do fine, Nico; you have been studying with us as much as possible."

Nico crossed her arms, leaning back into the chair. "Yeah; I've hardly seen Maki-chan all month," she remarked with a pout.

Nozomi tried not to laugh, but failed with her smile. "You're cute, Nicocchi," she commented; the raven-haired stuck her tongue out in response. "Maki-chan is probably busy too."

"She is," the raven-haired sighed as the two other girls came back, setting down the tea and snacks. "She's been practicing more so I think it's best I'm busy studying so I don't bother her."

Nozomi hummed with a smile. "So she decided to continue competing?" The shorter girl nodded as she sipped on the tea. "How nice; I'm looking forward to hearing her play again."

"Me too," Nico smiled.

Eli cleared her throat before her light blue eyes made contact with her partner's turquoise ones. "So Nico," the blonde started, putting down her cup. "Have you figured things out?"

The raven-haired looked between her two friends, eyes darting back and forth in contemplation. "Maybe," she replied, hands cupping the tea. "I mean, hopefully."

"Hopefully?" Nozomi repeated. "Do you not believe you made the right choice?"

"I wouldn't know until I've actually done it," the raven-haired answered, subconsciously flipping through pages in her textbook.

"Done…what?" the taller girl asked.

Realizing she said too much, Nico clenched her jaw tight to stop her from saying any more. She stuffed her mouth with the crackers as an excuse not to say anything, slowly chewing to stall for more time.

"I guess we'll never find out," Nozomi said, resuming to study instead; Eli followed her lead, looking down at her textbook before flipping to the next page.

The raven-haired appreciated her friends' respect for her privacy, reading the first line of the page she had stopped on. She was already nervous just thinking about it and all the possible ways it could end. But as of right now, she had to focus on graduating because Maki would beat her up if she didn't…or worse, have to leave her because what Nishikino wanted to end up with someone who couldn't graduate from high school the first time.

Nico sighed loudly, sliding down her chair; the two other girls grinned to hide their laughs, continuing to read.

Two more weeks. _Just two more weeks._

* * *

Maki sat still, her fingers lightly pressing on the keyboard of the school's piano. She looked down at the old thing before her eyes flickered to the music sheets sitting in front of her and then back down in a matter of a second. It felt a little unfamiliar to her after avoiding it for so long and it frustrated her that nothing was coming to her despite spending the last two days in front it.

She lifted her hands away, resting them at her sides with a heavy sigh; she slowly closed the keyboard before putting away the music sheets within her bag, zipping it up before the door slid open.

"I found you," Eli said with a calm smile; she stood at the threshold with her arms crossed and although she looked well put together, Maki could see the dark circles around her eyes.

"Here I am," the redhead replied in monotone.

The older girl blinked in surprise, not used to any kind of playfulness from Maki, but she quickly giggled at her attempt. "I guess Nico is rubbing off on you," she commented before stepping into the room.

Maki cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment before asking, "What brings you here? I thought you were studying with Nozomi and Nico-chan."

"I'm meeting them later," she replied as she stopped beside the instrument, looking down at the first-year. "I had some Student Council things to take care of."

"But you're not the president anymore?" the redhead said, eyebrow cocked.

Eli nervously chuckled, scratching the back of her neck. "Well, the current president needed some help figuring things out."

"You mean Honoka?" Maki stated.

The third-year grinned. "Yeah, I mean Honoka," she admitted, her hands grazing the piano. "I heard you playing from down the hall so I thought I'd come to say hi."

"Hi," the younger girl suddenly said, not sarcastically nor sentimentally.

Eli held back a snort of laughter, smiling from ear to ear. "You're something else, Maki," she stated, "I don't know whether it comes from Nico or if you two are just the same."

"Honestly, I don't want it to be either way."

"May I?" The blonde gestured to the piano bench; Maki nodded before scooting over enough for them both to sit. Eli sat down, scanning the huge instrument before saying, "It's amazing that you can play such a thing."

"Just takes a lot of practice," the first-year stated, slowly running a hand through her hair.

"Frustrating?" Maki looked at the girl beside her before looking away when she realized how close they were actually sitting; the older girl's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "What?"

 _Why is she so dense?_

"Sometimes," the redhead finally replied. "I'm having a bit of a hard time getting everything together after so long."

The third-year nodded in acknowledgement. "Must be," she agreed before opening the fallboard. "Would you mind playing a song for me?"

"Eh?"

Eli turned to the redhead with a grin. "Nozomi and I were just talking about it; we haven't heard you play in a while," she told her.

"Uh…I mean…" She took a deep breath. "Sure…I can play something."

The blonde perked up in excitement, grabbing her phone before asking, "You mind if I record this?" Maki stared back; Eli chuckled. "It's for Nozomi; I think she'd love to hear it."

"O – okay."

Maki placed her hands on the keys, filing her brain for the perfect song to play at this moment. Finding a song, she pressed the first key followed by the next and the one after that. It felt simple like walking or talking; the melody flowed from her mind to her fingers, pressing each key with great memorization.

It started off slow and quiet, filling up the room with soft notes. A minute into the song, Maki picked up the pace just a little, the song getting louder. She could see Eli's eyes widen from her peripheral but that didn't stop her flow as she continued playing without missing a beat.

She smiled at the way the blonde stared at her hands, following them with focus. It was kind of cute, how interested the older girl was, but of course, Maki would never say such a thing. Another minute in, the song quieted again, slowing the melody down, fading it out until the last note.

"Wow." The redhead looked at the third-year; trying not to smile at her impressed facial expression. "You're amazing, Maki; I've never seen someone play this close before. It's so elegant."

"Thank you," the younger girl replied, letting her fingers roam the keyboard before she lightly tapped on one.

"Nico's so lucky," Eli commented, putting her phone into her pocket, "she can listen to you play whenever she wants."

"If she's not too busy," the redhead stated faster than her mind could register what she was saying, but she didn't take it back, knowing she was right anyway. She was busy, Nico was busy…that's how it's going to be for the rest of their lives.

The third-year stared at Maki as if searching for something to say back, but Maki waved her hand to turn the subject around. "It's nothing," she stated, "of course we'd be busy either way; we just need to learn to deal with it."

"I don't think 'deal' is the right word," Eli replied in thought. "I'm sure Nico is thinking the same thing though; she's been stressed this whole month now."

"She has?" Maki asked in utter surprise.

The older girl turned to her, a smile creeping on her face. "I guess you haven't noticed since you've been practicing," she said. "She's been with Nozomi most of the time to study, but she's been really unfocused as graduation nears."

"O – oh…"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she graduates," Eli promised with a wink.

"Thanks."

The blonde stood up, fixing her skirt as Maki silently watched her. "I better get going before they start wondering where I am," she stated, "and I should study too; finals are next week already."

Maki wished her luck as the third-year walked towards the sliding door; Eli acknowledged her with a wave of the hand. The redhead put the remaining stuff in her school bag as the older girl stepped through the threshold.

"Oh and Maki," she called, a hand on the door; the first-year looked up. "Good luck to you too."

"Ye – sure."

Eli smiled before sliding the door closed, her footsteps echoing through the empty halls, fading away with every step. Maki listened before slinging her bag on her shoulders, standing up to leave as well. She checked her watch, the time reading four in the afternoon. She sighed before making her way to the door; as she reached a hand out, her phone vibrated in her bag, grabbing her attention.

The first-year reached in to retrieve it, opening it to find a new message from Nico. She smiled, her ears slightly burning red but in a good way; she stuffed it back into her bag before continuing on her way out.

" _I miss you."_

* * *

"That test was brutal," Nico complained as soon as the last sheet of paper was turned in to the teacher in front. The raven-haired put her head on the desk, ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"It wasn't that bad," Nozomi remarked, turning around to talk to her.

The raven-haired groaned as she looked up at her childhood friend. "You understand math better than I do," she replied with a glare. "I'm pretty sure I failed that one."

"For someone who's always so confident," the older girl started, "you put yourself down way too much."

"Whatever." Nico leaned into the back of her chair, her arms crossed as she looked out the window.

And there she was, across the courtyard, sitting on her desk with a pencil in her hand and her face in her notebook. Maki carefully wrote; her back straight with her hand steady… _so this is what strict piano playing does to you._

The redhead looked up as Rin approached her, stretching before leaning down on the older girl's desk to look at what she was doing. She pointed at it, her mouth opening and closing as she spoke; Maki spoke calmly, her pen flipping between her fingers.

Rin stood up straight, her hands behind her back as she swayed side-to-side before she looked out the window. She pointed in Nico's direction before she practically jumped over the taller girl's desk; she swung the window open, yelling, "Hello, Nico-chan, nya!"

The third-year scrunched her eyebrows as Nozomi also turned to watch. "Hey, guess what?" the orange-haired continued, her arm waving in the air before she gestured towards the flustered Maki. "Maki-chan is – "

But she was unable to finish as the redhead grabbed her to pull her back into the classroom before she stuck of head out the window. "Don't listen to her!" she shouted before closing the window in haste.

The purple-haired chuckled. "She's really opened up, hasn't she?" she commented, smiling at Nico.

"You think so?" the shorter girl asked, watching the first-years for a few seconds longer before she turned back to her childhood friend. "I still have a hard time getting her to talk."

"Well, she's still learning, but it's a start," Nozomi replied.

The raven-haired grinned. "Yeah, it is." She watched them again, Hanayo having joined them in order to keep Rin under control. Maki continued to talk to them as if explaining something only for the orange-haired to jump on her with millions of questions.

"Should we head over to my place to study?" The two girls looked up to find Eli standing over them, her bag packed.

"Well, don't you look so cute, all ready to go," Nozomi teased with a huge grin; the blonde turned bright pink.

Nico faked gagged as the purple-haired stood up as well, slinging her bag over. "C'mon, Nicocchi," she started before grabbing Eli's hand. "We should get going; tomorrow's subject is the hardest for you."

The shorter girl sighed before also standing up. "Let's hit it."

"Please don't write that on the English test tomorrow," Eli pleaded as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

Nico rolled her eyes. "Like I would," she stated.

"Let's go; we're wasting time here," Nozomi said, walking first with Eli in hand. "We only have two more days."

The raven-haired nodded in agreement, taking one last turn to watch as Maki, Rin, and Hanayo were also leaving, the orange-haired leading the way. For whatever reason, Maki turned her head, making eye contact with the third-year; she waved with a small grin, prompting Nico to wave back before she turned around to catch up to the other two.

"Coming, Nico?" the blonde asked, sticking her head into the room.

"Ah, yeah," the older girl responded, jogging to reach Eli before she slowed down.

Two more.

* * *

"Nicocchi!" Nozomi suddenly shouted; she could hear the older girl skipping through the desks as she laid her head on the cold surface. It wasn't until Nozomi slammed her hands on the counter did Nico look up, but with no urgency.

"Really?" she deadpanned, glaring at the taller girl. "We _just_ finished exams and you're bothering me now?"

The purple-haired ignored her question, smiling down at her. "Guess who came to pick you up today?" she teased.

Nozomi gestured to the sliding door; the shorter girl's eyes followed carefully until they stopped on red hair, waiting patiently at the threshold. She quietly twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, her eyes scanning the classroom floor.

Nico grinned but then frowned when she noticed her childhood friend was still watching her. "Would it kill you to stop ruining the mood?"

"Yeah, just a little bit," the older girl mocked before she walked away and towards Maki. The movement caught the first-year's attention, looking up just as the purple-haired leaned in closer, whispering something into her ear that was inaudible to Nico. The younger girl's cheeks turned bright red as Nozomi strode down the hall.

The raven-haired quickly stood up, scrambling to grab her bag and blazer; she ran to the first-year, hastily asking, "What did she say? Did she say something weird?"

"N – nothing," Maki replied, turning her head away.

The third-year huffed in disappointment, her upper lip out in a pout. "So annoying," she muttered under her breath; she looked up at the redhead with suspicion. "You're not practicing today?"

"I am," the younger girl replied firmly, her embarrassment having subsided. "I just thought…"

"Thought?"

Maki looked at her for a split second before she shifted her gaze to the ceiling. "I just thought you could…accompany me?" Nico tried to hold in her laughter, but failed as it burst out of her body. "I'm leaving."

The third-year grabbed her wrist without trying to stop her laughter, saying in between breaths, "I'll come; it's just…you're so – oh my god, I can't."

"I'm going."

"I'm just kidding," Nico tried to recover, keeping a firm grip on her partner as Maki started walking away; the older girl followed, realizing with a smile that the redhead didn't even try to escape her. "So we're heading to the music room?"

"Yeah, since you're done with exams, I thought I could show you something," the first-year told her, continuing to stride down the hallway with Nico not far behind.

"Did Maki-chan make me something?" the raven-haired teased with a smirk that Maki caught when she turned around; she rolled her eyes.

"Not if you act like that." The older girl pouted.

They continued to make their way in silence, the tapping of their shoes the only sound that could be heard as most of the students had left already. With the third years celebrating the end of high school a day early and the rest of the school running around with freedom, it was rather bittersweet.

"Nico-chan." The older girl snapped up from her daze, looking into Maki's confused, but concerned eyes. "You're squeezing my wrist a bit too tight," she informed.

Nico quickly let go, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry."

The redhead opened the door to the music room, stepping through as the third-year followed; Nico closed the door with a light click, walking towards the piano as Maki sat down on the bench. She scooted over as if she was asking the raven-haired to sit next to her; she took the offer, carefully sitting in front of the instrument as Maki lifted the fallboard.

"So what are you going to play me?" Nico asked.

"Something I wrote," the younger girl responded without looking her way, readying herself.

"For me?" the raven-haired teased with a wide smile; the tips of Maki's ears turned red. "I knew it."

"Just shut up and listen."

Nico's eyes narrowed. "Way to ruin the mood."

Maki didn't reply as she gently put her hands on the piano keys, breathing in and out before her pointer finger pressed down. It was slow, in a cautious type of way as if it was uncertain about something. But then it sped up a little, not fast like someone going head first into the unknown, but as if it started to slowly open up. The soft melody was mesmerizing until the redhead started to play louder, giving her all to express everything she wanted to but couldn't say. With such passion and gentleness, Nico was sucked in by the words that couldn't be said out loud. But then it suddenly stopped only to be replaced by the softness of the song like it was content, happy, but still ready for everything that's to come.

When the first-year finished, it was quiet for another minute, as Nico stared at the piano, mouth slightly open in astonishment. Her eyes scanned the board as she thought of something to say, searching for words to make a sentence.

"You don't have to say anything," the younger girl said, still looking down at the keyboard. "It's just…sort of, a graduation gift." Nico opened her mouth, but the redhead continued, "I didn't know what to get you since…well – "

"I love it."

"You don't have to lie."

Nico glared. "I love it, Maki-chan," she repeated, but with more irritation. "It's beautiful…it's – I don't even know if words could actually describe it."

"Now you're just going too far," the first-year deadpanned.

The older girl sighed before saying, "Just accept my compliment, would you? You're so hard to please."

Maki squeezed the raven-haired's cheeks with her hand, bringing her toward her to kiss her; it was short, but still sweet, although Nico could do without the slight pain from the first-year's grip.

"If you wanted to kiss me," the shorter girl started, still within the redhead's grasp, "you should've just said so."

The ringing of Nico's phone beat Maki's reply, the loud music playing within her pocket. She answered it, listening intently before she raised an eyebrow for a split second; she looked directly at the redhead who was quietly watching her, smiling at her before quietly kissing her on the nose. The younger girl blinked in surprise, touching her nose as Nico winked; the first-year's eyes narrowed.

"Okay, I'll be home soon," she finally replied before hanging up and shoving the object back into her pocket. "Sorry, Maki-chan, my siblings are calling for me."

"It's fine," the taller girl said, standing up first. "You should also celebrate the end of exams. I have to practice a little more so don't worry about me."

Nico slightly smiled, following her partner's lead. "I'll be leaving first then," she stated, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Don't miss me too much."

"Not possible."

"Hurtful."

Maki grinned. "Hurry before they start worrying," she said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

The older girl nodded once in agreement before striding towards the exit. She slid the door open as Maki also prepared to leave; she turned around once to watch her for a split second before actually leaving.

 _Tomorrow._

* * *

"Where are they?! Where are they, nya?!" Rin jumped around in an effort to find the third-years in the huge crowd of graduates, proud parents, and crying underclassmen. After the ceremony, it was a huge mess of people scrambling to find whoever they were looking for; it was crazy how crowded of a graduation this was for such a small school.

"Rin-chan," Hanayo started, trying to keep a good distance as to not get hit from Rin's flying arms, "we'll find them eventually, but you shouldn't be jumping around."

The orange-haired pouted, her jumping coming to a halt. "They might leave, nya!" she whined. "I want to see them before then."

Maki sighed as she twirled a strand of her hair, her eyes slowly scanning the crowd without the other two noticing. "I highly doubt they'd just leave," she remarked without a glance in their direction.

"Maki-chan is so mean," Rin commented, her nose scrunched up, but then it quickly softened in realization of something. "Oh, that's right; Nico-chan wouldn't just leave without seeing the love of her life."

The older girl's face spiked red as she turned to see the smirk on Rin's face. "Sh – shut up, Rin!" The orange-haired stuck her tongue out before jumping back when Maki tried to grab at her. "Get back here." They went around a frightened Hanayo a few times, Rin using her partner as a shield from the redhead's grasp.

"I found them!" Honoka yelled, pointing at the first-years in excitement.

"That's not who we were looking for," Umi groaned, following behind the ginger-haired girl with Kotori beside her.

Honoka smiled despite her childhood friend's unamused expression. "Yeah, but they're our friends too," she pointed out.

The blue-haired muttered something under her breath as Kotori giggled. "Don't be so harsh, Umi-chan, she's just happy right now," she chided, making her way over to the first-years. "We're all looking for the same people anyways."

"So you haven't found them either, nya?" Rin asked, frowning when the second-years shook their heads. "Aw man…what if we miss them?"

"Eli told us to wait for them after the ceremony," Umi informed them. "Said she wanted to make sure we all had a proper goodbye."

"Goodbye?!" Honoka repeated, water building up in her eyes.

Kotori reacted first, quickly trying to calm her by saying, "Not a real goodbye; we'll still see them and hang out when we all can." But the ginger-haired didn't buy it, her bottom lip quivering.

Rin's eyes went wide, her lip contorted into a huge frown as she tried to keep her tears in check. "Don't cry, Honoka-chan," she said, her voice cracking just a little, "cause…I might cry."

"There you all are," they heard. They turned their attention to Nozomi, a diploma in hand as she continued to smile at the first-years.

"Nozomi-chan!" Rin shouted, hopping over to her before she was close enough to wrap her arms around the older girl. "Congratulations, nya!"

The purple-haired giggled, petting the first-year's head. "Thank you, Rin-chan." And before she knew it, Hanayo also ran towards her, tears straining Nozomi's blazer. "Don't cry, Hanayo-chan; we'll all still be together."

"B – but – but – "

"Oh, it looks like fun over here," Eli commented, making her way over to the group; it wasn't long before Rin and Hanayo ran over to her, Honoka following after. "Wh – what's wrong?"

"Just emotions running high," her partner explained with a grin.

"Ah, is that so?" the blonde laughed, petting their heads one-by-one before hugging them back.

Maki watched, not having moved an inch since the second-years arrived; she did feel sad at the sight of the older girls holding their diplomas, ready to take on the world beyond high school. It was bittersweet, knowing that it was a great step in life, moving from a huge part that seemed never-ending, but knowing that times like this wouldn't come so easily anymore.

"Hey, Maki-chan."

The redhead turned to her right to find Nozomi standing beside her. "Have you seen Nicocchi yet?"

"Not yet," she quickly replied, a little upset by that fact.

The purple-haired hummed, hands behind her back as she leaned at the hips towards Maki. "Oh, is Maki-chan upset?"

"Eh?!" She was getting tired of being teased, but it was completely true so she really couldn't argue back so instead, she turned her head to hide the pink that glowed on her face.

"Are you scared?" the third-year suddenly asked as Umi tried to pry Honoka off of Eli who was simply chuckling at the younger girls.

Maki blinked once. "Of what?"

The purple-haired shrugged before asking again, "Are you scared?"

And it all just came at her at once, all the worries and fears that had been pecking at her rushed through as if this was the time to be thinking about it. She knew she shouldn't be worrying about it right now when it was supposed to be about Nico, about the third-years. She hated feeling troubled, feeling like the world was going to stop turning at any moment, like she'd be lost for who knows how long. She was utterly afraid of the things coming her way, but right now, it wasn't about her.

"A little," she replied, but she could tell by the way Nozomi sincerely grinned that she had caught the doubt within her.

"It's amazing, how much you and Nicocchi have grown," she remarked; Maki had to take a second longer to process those words. "It's as if – " She suddenly stopped before smiling, confusing the first-year even more. "Nothing." Maki almost wanted to shout at her for being so strange, but she wouldn't, at least not today.

"Nicocchi wouldn't shut up about you," Nozomi informed her, looking out into the crowd of people around them, "she always talks about you even if she's complaining." Maki stared at the purple-haired till she followed her gaze, taking a deep breath in when she found ruby eyes looking into hers from a few feet away; Nico smiled when their eyes met, giving the first-year her famous hand sign before continuing to speak to her mother.

"Isn't love something?" the third-year said.

"Yeah," Maki unconsciously replied as Nico waved to her family before striding towards them.

"Make good decisions," Nozomi advised before making her way back to the rest of the group before the raven-haired could reach them.

"Hey."

"Congratulations," the redhead said, still a bit awe-stricken.

"Thanks," the older girl grinned, watching the other girls make fools of themselves before turning back to Maki. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Huh?" The first-year looked from Nico to the others, pointing to them. "But what about…?"

Nico observed them again: Rin and Honoka continued to cry with big puppy eyes as Hanayo stuck to Nozomi like a child and her mother. Kotori talked to Eli as Umi kept the crying girls in check.

"They'll be fine," she commented. "C'mon, they probably won't even notice we left."

"And if they do?" Maki inquired as the raven-haired grabbed her hand, leading her through the mass still standing in the courtyard.

Nico turned her head, a huge smile on her face. "Let's leave that to their imagination."

* * *

The forecast had been right: the cherry blossoms had bloomed earlier this year, the trees surrounding them shining bright pink under the sunlight. It was beautiful, fascinating to the eyes that Maki had no choice but to stare up.

Nico walked a little ways ahead; her footsteps slow, but big. She swayed her hips with each step, humming to a song Maki couldn't really recognize at the top of her head; she looked around her, the trail filled with trees of falling cherry blossoms, blowing with the wind surrounding them.

"I can't believe they've already bloomed," Nico commented as she turned to face Maki, taking small steps backwards.

"They did say it was going to be early this year," the redhead informed her, continuing to walk at her pace. "So I'm not that surprised."

The third-year frowned. "Why do you got to be such a downer?" she questioned, halting for Maki to catch up to her. "It's amazing; just appreciate the view, won't you?"

The younger girl stopped in front of Nico, looking down at her with her usual somber expression before a small grin broke through. "I am appreciating it," she said; Nico turned red.

"Oh, now you want to flirt," she remarked, hands on her hips, as she looked Maki in the eye with a scowl.

Maki's grin widened just a bit more before she stepped around the raven-haired to continue walking the trail. "I can do whatever I want," she teased, twisting her head enough to catch Nico's glare. "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

The third-year jogged over to her partner, slowing down when she stood next to her only to grab her hand as she said, "There, now you can't leave without me."

"Like I would."

"Would you stop that?" Nico argued, a bright flush of red across her face. "Nishikino Maki isn't supposed to blatantly flirt with me."

"That was a statement," the taller girl remarked, "but you'll just have to live with it."

The older girl didn't reply, but Maki didn't mind mostly because she had most of her fun messing with Nico and her silence just meant that the redhead had done her job. But when she glanced down at the third-year, her heart panged just a little at the way Nico looked, like she'd seen a ghost, almost like something was bothering her but she couldn't find the words to say it.

"Want to take a break?" the first-year asked, stopping her stride.

"Sure," the shorter girl smiled, or tried to. Maki lead the way off the trail and under one of the cherry blossom trees to hide from the blaring sun.

They stood there in silence, both watching side-by-side as a group of elementary kids passed by on their bikes, one speeding by after the other. They laughed and shouted at each other, their voices filling up the blue sky for a minute or two before it disappeared.

"Must be fun being a kid at their age," Nico suddenly said.

"Where did that come from?" the younger girl inquired with a raised eyebrow.

The raven-haired looked at her partner as if the question was a bit unexpected, but she replied anyways. "You know, no worries or anything."

There was that word again: worries. It made Maki feel that slight tug of her heart as her mind filled with already existing thoughts that she had tried to suppress for the time being.

"Are you worried?" she asked Nico.

"Worried?" the third-year echoed in a confused tone. "About a lot of things, yes. Are you…worried?"

The redhead started to twirl a strand of hair. "Sort of," she replied, her eyes looking around Nico, but not at her.

"Like what?" the older girl asked, curiously.

The question caught Maki off-guard, her eyes searching her partner's face for some sort of sign that she was mocking her or was getting ready to tease the hell out of her for her next reply, but there was nothing. Nothing but concern.

"Like about tomorrow or the week after, sometimes I think about the next year," she stated slowly.

"What about us?"

The taller girl hesitated, her heart thumping against her chest. "Y – yes."

The older girl hummed while nodding as if taking time to process that Maki actually admitted to something like that. She stayed quiet for a few more moments, her eyes trailing from Maki's eyes to her lips then to the grass under them.

Nico chuckled, mostly out of nervousness. "That was uncalled for," she commented, trying not to laugh again; the redhead's eyebrows scrunched up. "I wasn't expecting that answer."

"What were you expecting?"

The third-year made a face, supposedly trying to copy Maki's usual disinterested facial expression, an arm crossed at her chest as she twirled her hair within her fingers. "'No,'" she mocked in her most Maki-like voice.

Maki made the same expression while saying in almost the same tone, "I don't sound like that."

"You just did it," the older girl argued, pointing at her in accusation; the redhead pursed her lips in embarrassment. "What a loser." The first-year's lip twitched but she didn't say anymore to not give her partner even more things to tease her about, but then Nico spoke again, "I'm worried too – " Maki's eyes softened, " – about my career, about my family, about you, mostly us."

The taller girl bit her bottom lip. "But that's life, right?" Nico continued with a grin. "This year has just been one hell of a ride."

"You think so?"

"You don't?"

The redhead shook her head. "I do."

They stared at each other, both of them looking for the next words to say but the silence between them wasn't awkward, it was actually comforting to know that they felt the same way about a lot of things.

"I'll be busy this coming summer," Nico said as if she was informing the person at the cash register that she wanted the hamburger with extra fries.

"I know," Maki replied.

"It won't be easy," the third-year continued; Maki knew she was talking about their relationship and not her career.

"I can imagine."

"I might be gone every few weeks."

"That's inevitable."

"And you'll be busy with school and piano recitals."

"As you've seen."

Nico pursed her lips. "We might not talk as much."

"I'm prepared."

"And I'll probably cry every once in a while.

Maki tried not to laugh, deciding to grin instead so as not hold it all in. "Why would you cry?"

"Because I miss you."

The first-year could feel her pulse accelerating. "And I'll miss you, too."

"It's amazing how honest you're being right now," the raven-haired remarked with a small smile. "A year ago, you wouldn't even admit you were hungry."

"That's because I wasn't," the younger girl argued.

"Tell that to your loud stomach." Maki puffed her cheeks out. "It is a little unreal, but I'm glad I'm not dreaming."

"Me too." Maki glanced at the ground before her eyes flickered back to the raven-haired. "I have something for you."

"For me?" Nico faked surprise with a soft gasp, gesturing at herself.

The first-year rolled her eyes before fishing through her blazer pocket, taking out a small rectangle, wrapped in wrapping paper. The shorter girl took it into her own hands, looking at her partner for some sign that she could open it. "Go ahead."

Nico slowly unwrapped it as if she was trying to preserve the paper; the redhead thought it was cute until she started to get a little impatient. The older girl eventually unraveled the whole thing, opening the case and staring wide-eyed at the present.

"It's so pretty," she commented, looking at the necklace. It was silver, plain except for the small ruby gem that shined in the middle. "That's my birthstone."

"Here – " The redhead extended her hand out to her, " – I'll put it on for you."

The older girl let her, handing the case back; Maki slowly took the necklace out, setting the box back into her pocket as she stepped around Nico. She wrapped it around her neck, carefully locking it before gently letting it rest. "Just something to remember me when you're away," she told her with sincerity, but when Nico didn't say anything, Maki felt dread wash over her. "What's wrong?"

"I have something for you, too," the third-year stated without bothering to look at her.

The first-year stilled in confusion, an eyebrow raised as Nico turned around, a small grin on her face, but her movements told Maki that there was more to be told.

"Close your eyes," Nico instructed her, but not in her usual cocky way; it was anxious, a little jumpy, but still Nico.

Maki followed without question, closing them almost instantly; she heard the older girl giggle under her breath, probably because the first-year actually obeyed her without some snide remark, but then she heard a quiet sigh, one that sounded a little too scared for her liking. Was Nico going to just run and leave her? Was she being pranked right now?

It went silent for the next minute, no sounds but the wind blowing through the trees filled the redhead's ears. She raised an eyebrow, her heart thumping from the possibility that she was standing by herself in the middle of the park, eyes closed and fully vulnerable.

"Nico-chan?"

"Okay, open them," Nico told her; her voice comforted the younger girl.

Maki slowly opened them, blinking when Nico wasn't the first thing she saw, but the tree that was behind her was. But then she looked down, breath hitching as her heart practically stopped at the sight.

Nico.

On one knee.

With a ring in her hands.

"Nishikino Maki," she started, a slight crack in her voice; the younger girl chuckled as Nico cleared her throat. "I know there's a long road ahead of us, one we're both going to love and hate at the same time. There's a lot of things that will be said and a lot of things that won't; there will be battles we'll fight together and battles we'll fight against each other. I know I'm not perfect and you're not either – " Maki could feel the water building up as her hands trembled, " – but when we're together, that doesn't matter to me. You're everything I could ask for and more and never in my life have I been so sure about anything than at this moment."

The redhead breathed in deeply as to try and stop herself from crying, but the moment a few tears rolled down Nico's, she didn't hold back.

"Will you marry me?"

She smiled behind it, wiping at them as best as she could before chuckling to calm herself down. "Of course."

Nico let out a relieved sigh, clutching at her chest. "I thought you'd say no," she admitted with an embarrassed grin. She stood up, taking the ring out before slipping it onto Maki's ring finger. "There, so no one will hit on you."

The first-year sighed, but appreciated the joke nonetheless. "You're one of a kind, aren't you?"

"The one and only," the raven-haired stated.

Maki kissed her forehead before hearing the older girl huff in discontent. "What?"

"That's all I get: a kiss on the forehead?" She put her hands at her hips. "I just proposed, you know."

The younger girl shook her head before slowly leaning down, stopping only a few inches away from Nico's face. "Let me think about it."

The third-year's eyebrows scrunched up. "Time's up."

She wrapped her arms around Maki's neck, pulling her in till their lips met. The taller girl stared wide-eyed in surprise before kissing the raven-haired back, pulling her in by the waist as her bottom lip fit in between Nico's, pressing their bodies tightly against each other that not even the passing wind could pass through.

They knew this was only the beginning to so much more; it was the start to everything that was headed their way. They knew life would bring out the best and worst of them, they may fight and shout and cry. But that doesn't mean they wouldn't laugh and kiss and love. Because that's who they were and who they were were perfect for each other. That's all that mattered; although everything wasn't perfect, it was perfect at this moment.

Right here.

Under the cherry blossoms.

終わり。

* * *

 **（みんなさん本当ありがとう！とても嬉しいが、これは終わりから、少し悲しい。あなたは楽しかったの。）**

 **昔々、an idea was created and a story was born.**

 **I do just want to thank every single one of my readers for sticking with me for over a year with this story. It's been one heck of a ride and I couldn't ask for any other fic to have started with. I truly appreciate all the support I've gotten over the past year and I thank you all for helping me to improve in my writing. I had a lot of fun writing this and I'm sad that it has come to an end. I do plan to continue writing but with such little time and goals to fulfill, I cannot promise a lot; with that being said, you can still follow me on tumblr ( nikoxnii) for more.  
**

 **Thank you so much! And I hope to see you all in the near future :)**


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